Mattie McGrath Demands Emergency Flood Funding for Local Communities
Mattie McGrath pressed for emergency funding after severe flooding on Sunday evening damaged properties in the Knock Mill Down and Galti Mountain ranges and the villages of Balladubi, Burncourt, Ballapurine and Tunnelis Town. He urged the Department of Housing and transport and local authorities to provide temporary emergency funding, citing exhausted County Council maintenance budgets, damaged homes, lack of infrastructure and insurance losses.
Flood damage and affected areas
He detailed huge damage in the Knock Mill Down and Galti Mountain ranges and in the villages of Balladubi, Burncourt, Ballapurine and Tunnelis Town, where a large number of houses and properties were flooded on Sunday evening.
Calls for emergency funding
McGrath asked whether the Department of Housing and transport would provide extra temporary emergency funding for those districts to ensure householders "won't suffer the same fate again" as more bad weather was forecast.
Infrastructure and insurance issues
He highlighted poor infrastructure and named Irish water, saying the County Council had expended its maintenance budget for the year. He also noted a pub that had been insured previously is now unable to obtain insurance after the flooding.
Human impact and official reply
He wished well to one of the GSS's who suffered a heart attack while responding to the floods and to Walter Doherney. A responding speaker acknowledged the issues, noted there is a flooding support scheme that can be applied for, and said they would raise the concerns with the minister.
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Do you ensure that the Department of Housing and transport will provide extra funding to temporary emergency funding after the huge damage was done on Sunday evening in the Knock Mill Down and Galti Mountain ranges, in the villages of Balladubi and Burncourt and indeed Ballapurine, and in Tunnelis Town where a huge amount of houses and properties were flooded because of lack of infrastructure, poor infrastructure for Irish water and others, but the County Council have expended that budget this year on maintenance. Will you ensure that there was an emergency fund provided for those districts to ensure that those householders won't suffer the same fate again, there's more bad weather forecast and it's just not fair on people. One particular building, a pub that closed, it was always insured, can't get insurance now, they were flooded. And I also want to wish one of the GSS's who was out in the floods on Sunday night, who suffered a heart attack, wish him well, Walter Doherney as well, but ask for funding to help the Council. I thank you Deputy for raising that, I wish that gentleman the very best also, and there is a scheme there, a flooding scheme in terms of supports that can be applied for and made available, and I'll talk to the Minister in respect of the issues that you've raised.
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