A MEETING was held in Athlone yesterday to discuss recovery plans for 160 householders affected by flooding. The meeting was held in conjunction with the HSE, Athlone Town Council, the Garda, the Society of St Vincent de Paul and Westmeath Community Development.
Flood waters in the town reached peak levels on November 28th, but the council still has 35 families in temporary accommodation. Although the worst of the floods has passed, some homes are expected to remain under water for at least another week. Council workers have begun disinfecting and removing sandbags from areas in Athlone where water levels have dropped.
They are also issuing householders with gloves, overalls, buckets and disinfectant and have employed a contractor to monitor vermin movement. Warnings have also been issued in relation to sandbags and objects that were in contact with contaminated water.
The meeting was attended by HSE representatives who outlined issues regarding community health and the dispensing of humanitarian aid. David Loftus of Westmeath Community Forum said the 20,000sq ft Athlone Flood Relief Centre was full and could no longer accept material donations. The centre was now seeking cash donations as organisers focused on putting together “Christmas hampers for the kids affected”, he said.
Westmeath County Council will present the Government with an initial claim for costs incurred in the flooding by December 18th.
The council and Office of Public Works will also survey affected areas to assess the feasibility of flood defences. The survey will take place in January.
In Ennis yesterday, a council meeting heard that large parts of the town centre would have been under water if the first phase of a €25 million defence scheme had not been in place during the crisis.
Mayor Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) proposed that there be no more development on lands adjacent to the river Fergus for the next 20 years.