Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The year 2014 arrived with extremely high tides combined with gale force winds and torrential rain, which caused ferocious damage to homes, villages, businesses and communities on the north and west coasts of County Clare. Significant urgent works are now required to rebuild flood defences and incorporate new flood protections, including the construction of sea walls to protect homes which are now left open to the elements in areas such as Cloughaninchy, Quilty and Liscannor. Vast stretches of costal roads have been broken up, damaged, undermined and, in some cases, swept away. Damaged piers, footpaths, walls, bridges, railings, lighting and promenades all require repair and investment.

This work is required in places such as New Quay, Doolin, Liscannor, Lahinch, Quilty, Doonbeg, Carrigaholt, Kilbaha and Ross Bay and into the Shannon Estuary at Kildysart, Ballynacally and Clarecastle, along with the inland community at Dooras in O'Callaghan's Mills.

I compliment Clare County Council, the emergency services and local volunteers for their work both during and after the storm period. The initial storm damage report presented by Clare County Council documents the scale of the devastation and puts a total costing of €23.7 million on the repair works that will be required. The Government has sought more detailed costings from local authorities. However, I ask that immediate emergency funding be made available to Clare County Council. This essential funding would enable the council to proceed with emergency works. At the very least, councils should be given approval to carry out what are deemed to be emergency works and the costs relating to these should be fully covered.

Of primary concern to me are people who have been displaced from their homes, such as those who live in Cloughaninchy in Quilty, whose houses have been exposed to sea water for the first time in living memory, such as those who live in Liscannor, and who were cut off from their communities, such as those who live in Dooras, O'Callaghan's Mills and in Kilbaha. The communities in these areas are living in fear of the next high tide which is due at the end of January. The people to whom I refer are justifiably worried about their children and their homes, in which they have invested so much of their time and money.

County Clare is very much dependent on tourism and it is important that work should begin to repair the devastating damage to the promenade at Lahinch, the Flaggy Shore at New Quay, the village of Liscannor and the Loop Head peninsula in time for the forthcoming summer season. The farming community has also suffered greatly, with hundreds of acres of land in Ballynacally, Kildysart, Carrigaholt and Doonbeg flooded and in need of relief. There is a need to apply to Europe for additional funding in order that we might address this issue.

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