The response by the local authorities and emergency services to the widespread flooding in the south and west of the country has been “very good and very coordinated to date,” Minister for the Environment John Gormley said today.
Mr Gormely said the immediate priority is to ensure people are safe and not subjected to rising flood water and that they have access to quality drinking water.
A boil water notice has been issued in Ballinasloe, Co Galway due to concerns about floodwater contaminating the reservoir.
Officials from the Department are in contact with the local authorities about the provision of good quality drinking water possibly through delivery by tanker.
“People don’t often see that as a consequence, it is a consequence and we are dealing with that in the local authority areas,” the Minister said.
Mr Gormley said it is too early to make an assessment on the cost of the clean-up because “in all likelihood the rains will continue for today and tomorrow and that will make the situation even worse”.
But he said in the long term the Government is committed to continued investment in infrastructure to protect against flooding despite the recession as the “unfortunate reality is that flooding is a reality and that climate change is with us.”
“The scientific evidence shows that we are going to experience more flooding, that we are going to see extra precipitation in some areas”
“Can you say directly it’s directly attributable? That’s always very difficult but in general we are going to see more incidents of this sort.”