Councillors don't accept dredging not feasible

WESTMEATH County Council does not accept that dredging of the main channel of the River Shannon is not feasible.
That’s according to a submission by the council members to the Office of Public Works (OPW) in relation to the Shannon River Basin Flood Risk Management Plan.
The draft submission expressed the view that Athlone should be defended against floods as soon as possible; that a scheme would be put in place to assist those who live in rural areas and whose houses are at risk of flooding and that the OPW would increase its activities in terms of channel maintenance both on the River Shannon and on the other rivers within the catchment.
In relation to dredging, the submission states: “From our perspective, there is no engineering, financial or environmental reason why dredging cannot be carried out to improve the carrying capacity of the river thereby reducing the risk of flooding, both during winter floods and summer floods. It is our contention that this would have significant impact on the risk and damage due to flooding all along the River Shannon.”
The members of the council also stated in the submission that there is a need to “put people first in terms of the management of the River Shannon”.
“While we respect the environmental designations that apply to the river, we feel that more emphasis needs to be placed on the impact of flooding on the people that live and farm along its course,” the submission added.
The councillors also stated that summer flooding continues to be a significant issue and there is a need for more to be done to prevent this along the Shannon.
Also, they have called for a grant for those in areas at risk of flooding including Carrickobrien, Golden Island and north of Muckanagh, towards the cost of putting flood defences in place for individual houses and farmyards or a relocation scheme to assist those who wish to move from a location in which there is substantial risk of flooding.
“Such a scheme is urgently required,” added the submission.
The Mayor of Athlone Councillor John Dolan said he was glad to see there was some consideration for rural areas in the submission.
“We have to be conscious of the flooding in rural areas. There should be a grants scheme. There should be financial support,” he said.
He recommended that those in vulnerable areas should be supported to the tune of between €10,000 and €15,000 each to protect their homes and he was aware of one man who paid €17,000 for such works.
“We should protect everybody,” he said.
In relation to relocation schemes, Independent Councillor Michael O’Brien said: “There are people who don’t want to relocate but there are people who do.”