No action on flood risks in Callan and Inistioge is ‘deflating’

The lack of action to remove silt from rivers ‘drives me mad,’ a local councillor has said.
Councillor Michael Doyle raised issues on the King’s River in Callan and the River Nore in Inistioge.
He said he has been calling for the removal of silt in the King’s River for a long time and in Inistioge.

“I don’t understand why they won’t allow these places to be cleaned,” he said.
“It drives me mad. You have to go through six or seven bodies to get permission.
“Who can we write to, to ask for funding?”

Area Engineer Declan Murphy said the OPW will only fund projects to prevent flooding.
Cllr Doyle said the silt built up in Inistioge did cause flooding.

Inistioge is on the OPW radar, Mr Murphy said, to which Cllr Doyle replied: “Since 2017. No measures, no action. Since the funding was announced in 2017 nothing has been done.”

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“The last OPW report on the King’s River deflated everyone,” Cllr Joe Lyons said, reminding the meeting that the report said the silt has no effect on flooding in the town.

Cllr Doyle pointed out there is raw sewage flowing into the river in Inistioge and there is ‘no panic’ about that but laws are brought in to prevent farmers spreading slurry.

Cllr Deirdre Cullen proposed they write to the minister with responsibility for the OPW, Patrick Donovan, to get the go-ahead for funding.

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“I would call on our TDs to start shouting a bit louder at national level,” she said. With a €6 billion government budget surplus “I can’t see how funding is an issue,” she added.

Pointing out it would be their third letter to Minister Donovan, Cllr Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere said: “Never mind a letter, invite him down! Ask him face to face.”

When Cllr Lyons said he had been talking to Minister Donovan last week about the river, Cllr Cullen asked: “Where is he then?”
Cllr Lyons said he had been directed to Minister Heather Humphreys’ Department for Rural and Community Development.
Cllr Cullen said Minister Donovan would be written to and invited down.