A report presented to Meath county councillors last night attributes the severe flooding that damaged over 100 homes and business premises in south Meath last November to "the largest flood recorded in the River Tolka in memory".
The council is to start work on emergency measures costing up to €4 million to protect homes and businesses in Clonee and Dunboyne from the devastation visited on them twice in the last two years.
They include building a 1,400- metre long embankment on lands adjoining the Tolka river; deepening and widening the Castle river through Dunboyne and the construction of a 300-metre long 1.5-metre high wall from Clonee Bridge to the M3 and the upgrading of the Tolka over the same stretch.
In all, €7 million worth of remedial measures are recommended in an effort to prevent a repetition.
The damage was caused by the flooding of the Tolka river, which flows through Clonee and Dunboyne and the Castle river, which also flows through Dunboyne and empties into the Tolka.
The flood of November 15th followed two days of very heavy rainfall and heavy rain the previous week.
The report was prepared by consultants MC O'Sullivan.
In their report, the consultants said the volume of water flowing through the Tolka peaked at 97 cubic metres per second compared to 87 cubic metres per second in 1954. Up to November last it had been the largest flood in the river.
After the flooding in 2000, which again hit home owners and businesses in south Meath, the risk of a recurrence had been estimated at 1 per cent.
However, following last November's floods, that has been trebled, according to the consultants.
They added: "At this stage, the effects of any natural variations in climate which might be contributing to higher rainfalls cannot be quantified."
They concluded the flooding of November 15th was associated with extreme rainfalls, "combined with a previously saturated catchment which resulted in peak flood flows in the river on a scale not experienced in recent history.
"The previous largest flood of December 8th, 1954, for example, appears to have been exceeded by a margin of about 10 per cent.
"It is not surprising, therefore, that this event resulted in significant over-bank flooding outside the natural river channel."
The report was welcomed by councillors last night.
They urged the county manager to take whatever steps were necessary to secure funding from central Government for the full implementation of the proposed works and to proceed immediately with the emergency works.
They also asked that the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW be asked to meet a deputation of councillors in relation to funding for the scheme.
It was also agreed at the meeting that there would be widespread consultation with people whose homes and businesses were affected by the flooding.
A communications strategy would be put in place to ensure local people were kept advised of progress at all times.