Car Tourismo Banner
Home » Tag Archives: damage (page 2)

Tag Archives: damage

Clare tourism to suffer as Government delays funding

FIANNA Fáil TD for Clare and spokesperson on Tourism, Timmy Dooley has accused the Government of holding back funding for storm repairs in County Clare. Towns like Lahinch, Kilkee and Doolin were severely battered by Storm Darwin back in February and communities are now working on the restoration effort before the busy summer season. However, Deputy Doley said there are now concerns about the level of fundingbeing made available by the Office of Public Works. “This winter saw some of the most severe storms in recent history hit the west coast, damaging homes, businesses, roads and other essential infrastructure.  Since the end of February work has been underway to repair all the damage, however the Government funding of €16 million falls well short of the mark,” Deputy Dooley maintained. Clare County Council has estimated that the damage will cost almost €37 million to repair, but the Government has allocated less than half of that for the work. “Minister Hayes’ short-sightedness …

Read More »
The scene at Bunratty.

Narrow escape in Bunratty

ONE employee of the Creamery Bar and Restaurant  in Bunratty had a lucky escape on Wednesday afternoon after a tree fell onto her SUV as she was just about to get into it. Speaking on Thursday afternoon, Garzyna Witkowska, who is from Poland and lives in Ennis, said, “It was on Wednesday at about three o’clock, it was parked beside my workplace. I looked out the window and saw trees falling, so I started running out to move my car from the back to the front, where there are no trees. My keys were stuck in my pocket and that delayed me and that’s why I survived.” She was just seconds from the vehicle when the tree fell on it and  said that having a number of keyrings in her pocket was all that had delayed her. The vehicle was a relatively new Dacia Duster but she knew things could have been far worse. “It’s only nine months old, nearly …

Read More »

Clare needs “comfort letter” on storm funds

CLARE TD Michael McNamara has requested the Government to issue a “letter of comfort” to Clare County Council to provide reassurance that funding will be available for necessary repairs following the disastrous storms. The Labour deputy said the scale of destruction on the Clare coast and in the Shannon Estuary was underlined at Monday’s meeting of the local authority when members were told that the total estimate for repairs now stands at €36.8m. “Clare County Council has already spent €720,000 in temporary repairs and the need for further considerable expenditure is urgent. The council has spent this money without receiving any letter from the Government stating that the local authority will be reimbursed. County manager, Tom Coughlan has pointed out that further spending without written authorisation raises the issue of good corporate governance. Clearly the Council is caught between a rock and a hard place. “The scale of what has happened on the Clare coast is truly shocking and there …

Read More »

Coveney to view storm damage and flooding

Clare farmers along the estuary who have seen their lands swamped by recent flooding will be making their case for a funding reprieve from government when Minister for Agriculture and Marine, Simon Coveney visits the county this afternoon. But Minister Coveney will not be concentrating his visit on areas of flooding , he will also survey some of the damage experienced by coastal communities, areas hardest-hit by Storms Christine and Bridgid. Minister Coveney, who will be accompanied on his visit by Clare TDs Pat Breen and Joe Carey and Senator Tony Mulcahy, is due at Liscannor Pier at 2.30pm. He will then head down along the coastline to Ballynacally and Kildysart where vast tracts of land, an estimated 1,200 acres,  have been submerged with flood water after the embankments in the Shannon were breached. Taoiseach Enda Kenny has admitted not enough money has been earmarked for flood defence works in the years ahead, but Clare Fine Gael TD Pat Breen …

Read More »

Additional finance for flood damage

FINANCE Minister Michael Noonan has confirmed that additional funding will be made available to deal with the aftermath of flooding due to the Catherine and Bridget storms. Speaking in Limerick this Monday afternoon, where he viewed flood damage,  he said he expected that the scale of devastation caused in recent weeks would mean that more money would be needed from central Government. Mr Noonan said the funding would come from the national budget and that the amounts required would be affordable in the overall national context. Individual local authorities are estimating the cost of damage and then when the overall Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Brian Hayes said a full assessment of the damage in western counties in January was due this week and a memo would be brought before a Cabinet meeting next week.

Read More »
Astra after the storm

Opel Astra goes for a swim

Having set off on their routine morning commute last Monday, past the popular Tragumna Beach near Skibbereen, Rory Jackson’s wife Celine, son Aaron and German exchange student, Sid, were forced to abandon their 2006 Opel Astra, when it was engulfed by a sea wave. The family managed to escape to safety by scaling the adjoining embankment, and looked on as their car was swept by the tide nearly 10 metres along the roadway. Battered by relentless waves for over two hours, the tide then receded and the car was left surrounded by debris. Expecting the worst, Rory visited the site to assess the damage, only to discover that the car was completely dry inside, as were the contents of the boot which included school laptops and books. On closer inspection Rory was amazed to discover that both the engine and battery were also clean and in full working order, and he was able to drive the car away from the …

Read More »