Sir, – In light of recent serious flooding and warnings on climate change, I would now hope that county councils and planners sit up and think very carefully about allowing planning permission for houses and businesses on known flood plains, no matter how much they and the developers say they would benefit the economy. – Yours, etc,
EILEEN BANNAN,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – Perhaps we might reflect on the urgent need to save and restore our bogs as part of our natural flood defences. – Yours, etc,
DANIEL R COLLINS,
Rathgar,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – Your December 8th edition (Front Page) notes that the Government is to provide a paltry €5 million in emergency funding to the thousands of victims of Storm Desmond, both commercial and residential, to assist them with repairs.
Further into the same edition, I read that the same Government is planning to spend €5 billion on scientific research and development over the next five years. Some of these funds are reported to be from the private sector but the bulk is to be publicly funded.
Perhaps the Government might consider ring-fencing a small portion of this budget for research and development into flood-defence studies or 21st-century dredging techniques. – Yours, etc,
RICHARD FOX,
Kilcoole,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – My sympathy goes out to all those who have been affected by the dreadful flooding in the west. Perhaps there will now be fewer objections to piping some Shannon water up to Dublin? – Yours, etc,
HEATHER BROWN,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – The OPW and the Army protected the homes of our neighbours at Lisheenavallagh, Claregalway, by delivering sand, bags, pumps and people to work with locals to fill and deploy 3,000 sandbags to protect homes from flooding. Thank you to all the public servants who worked through the night. – Yours, etc,
SHANE MOONEY,
Oranmore,
Co Galway.