THERE was some concern last week after people working on surveying for the new Shannon flood relief scheme were seen taking photos of local houses.
Councillor Donna McGettigan said, “A few people had said that they had seen people taking pictures of their houses. My Mum went out and asked them had they ID, they said they didn’t, and she said you really should have ID. I rang our Shannon MD office about it, because there are so many scams happening.”
She said there had been some communication, but not everyone had been informed. “One resident sent me a letter that he received. There are letters going around, but not everybody received the letters and people are suspicious of these people taking pictures of their house.”
She said people would be accepting if they were aware of the reasons. “If they knew what it was about it’d be okay, they’re not asking to come in or anything, but they are taking pictures.”
Even as a county councillor, she wasn’t aware of what was going on. “I didn’t know what was happening. It may have been down somewhere, but that much information comes out that you don’t get to see everything.”
The letter which had been sent said, “RPS Consulting Engineers Ltd were appointed as the Project Consultant in July 2020 and are currently progressing State 1, Option Assessment, Scheme Development and Design. As part of this stage there are a number of third party surveys to be carried out, such as the Topographical Survey, Geophysical Survey, Sewer Network Survey and Ground Investigation Survey.
“McDonald Surveys (MCDS Geo Surveys Ltd) have been appointed to carry out the Topographical Survey on behalf of Clare County Council. As part of the survey MCDS are required to record the finished floor levels of approximately 1,200 property thresholds in the Shannon town area. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause. Given the current Covid-19 guidelines we will not be requesting to access the inside of domestic properties.”
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.