Fast track flood works on the cards

June 2001

MAJOR flood prevention works for Arklow are now expected to be ‘fast-tracked’ after a high powered deputation of councillors and Ferrybank residents met Junior Minister Martin Cullen recently in Dail Eireann.

The deputation were over the moon with the results of their meeting after they received an immediate grant of £97,000 from the Government to update the 1989 report on the flood prevention works needed for the south Wicklow seaport town.

By fast-tracking the updating the report by PH McCarthy consultants, which is expected to be completed in 20 weeks, it will enable the flood prevention works to proceed in tandem with the sewage treatment scheme.

‘ This has to be seen as fantastic news for the people of Arklow who are affected by flooding as instead of starting the process from scratch, the entire scheme can be piggy-backed on the sewerage scheme,’ Donal O’Sullivan of the Ferrybank Flood Action Committee said.

‘It is now conceivable that flooding problems in Arklow could be a thing of the past within the next few years, which has to be seen as a major achievement from all our perspectives,’ added Cllr Nicky Kelly, who was joined on the deputation by council colleagues Vincent McElheron (chairman), Dr Bill O’Connell, Cllr Pat Fitzgerald and also committee members Pat Kearon, Donal O’Sullivan and James Flynn.

They were met at Dail Eireann by Constituency Junior Minister Joe Jacob who arranged the meeting with Martin Cullen, who, as Minister for State at the Department of Finance, has responsibility for the OPW.

The deputation also consisted of Town Clerk Sean Quirke, who outlined Arklow’s needs to the Junior Minister, and Deputies Billy Timmins and Mildred Fox.

Now a liaison committee of urban and county council officials and the OPW is being set up to ensure speedy and unimpeded progress in tackling this problem. This committee will report back to their respective councils and to the Ferrybank committee.