No flood works this year

No flood works in The Neale or Hollymount this year


Neill O’Neill

THE issue of flooding in three separate locations in south Mayo was discussed at the monthly meeting of the Ballinrobe Electoral Area Committee yesterday, (Monday), where John Murphy from the Office of Public Works (OPW) gave the Council an update on works to date.
Firstly, he said that the OPW have carried out a scheme in the Clyard/Thomastown area which was working well.
However, there was less to cheer about in other places close to Ballinrobe, as it was heard that proposals for works to deal with the threat of flooding in Hollymount/Roundfort and The Neale had not progressed.
John Murphy of the OPW told the meeting that a route for works in Hollymount/Roundfort had been identified but that the proposal would not eradicate the threat of flooding, but bring it down to an acceptable level.
He added that this was because the area is of significant ecological importance and that a programme for full works in the area would not be approved by The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). The NPWS have been considering the proposal they did formulate for some months now, and John Murphy said that the OPW have the project factored into their budget for 2009.
In The Neale, a topographical survey has been commissioned and completed – but only last month – while Mayo County Council have also engaged the services of a hydro-geologist, from whom a report is being awaited.
John Murphy said that in his opinion there is no obvious solution to the flooding problems in The Neale – at least not a cost-effective one – as underground water systems are causing the problem. He said drainage is probably the only way to solve the problem, and that it is in the hands of the experts at the moment.
He said that a drainage solution would require a lot of co-operation and landowners to come on board, and would have to pass a lot of ecological criteria.
Cllr Damian Ryan said that raising the road in The Neale is not an option he would consider as an alternative to drainage, as the houses in the area would still be affected by the problem.