DESPITE SIGNIFICANT MONIES BEING SPENT BY MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL TO RECTIFY AN ONGOING FLOODING PROBLEM IN THE TOWN OF NEWPORT, WHEN THE HEAVY RAIN FELL YESTERDAY (MONDAY) MORNING, BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS WERE AGAIN FLOODED IN THE TOWN.

LOCAL FINE GAEL COUNCILLOR JOHNO O’MALLEY RAISED THE MATTER AT YESTERDAY’S MONTHLY MEETING OF MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL.

BUSINESSES AND LOCAL RESIDENTS HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH THE ONGOING FLOODING OF THEIR PREMISES IN SEVERE WEATHER FOR YEARS, HOWEVER,  RECENTLY SIGNIFICANT MONIES WERE SPENT BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITY IN ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM. NOT SURPRISINGLY, PEOPLE ASSUMED THE THREAT OF FLOODING WAS OVER – BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE AND ALARM BELLS WERE RAISED EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING AS IT BECAME APPARENT IN PERSISTENT HEAVY RAIN THAT THE FLOODING THREAT WAS BACK.

COUNCILLOR O’MALLEY SAID A BUSINESS PERSON CONTACTED HIM. HE THEN SPENT TWO HOURS TRYING TO CONTACT ANYONE AT MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL THAT COULD ASSIST IN THE “EMERGENCY”, BUT FAILED, HE CLAIMED, TO GET ANY KIND OF AN ADEQUATE RESPONSE.

 EVENTUALLY HE WENT TO NEWPORT HIMSELF, JUST BEFORE 1PM AND THE PREMISES WERE TAKING IN WATER AT THAT STAGE.

HE HAS DEMANDED ANSWERS FROM THE COUNTY ENGINEER AS TO WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE RECENT REMEDIAL WORKS, THAT DIDN’T WORK YESTERDAY AND ALSO WHY IT TAKES SO LONG TO GET A RESPONSE FROM THE LOCAL AUTHORITY IN WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.