Flood-hit businesses 'can’t get insured, even where defences are good'
Local authorities have been accused of not doing enough to keep rivers and culverts clear as communities around the country count the cost of the recent floods.
PRO of the National Forum of Community Flood Committees in Blackpool Co Cork, Ger Buckley, said not enough simple prevention measures were being taken against flooding.
He said the main concern, however, was that even where flood defences had been improved, businesses and home owners still could not get insured.
"An awful lot of what's happening is avoidable," he said. "Local authorities are not clearing out culverts (and) rivers aren't being maintained.
"But the biggest single issue facing towns and villages around Ireland is that even where a scheme has been completed, like in Fermoy and Mallow, (businesspeople are) still not getting re-insured."
Meanwhile, President Michael D Higgins is visiting communities affected by floods in counties Galway and Wexford.
President and Sabine Higgins are currently in Labane, in south Galway, where houses are under threat of recurring flooding.
Locals say they have been flooded repeatedly since 1990, and are under severe stress.
Leona Keady's house has been cut off due to flooding for five days, and was glad to see President Higgins.
She said: "The fact that he has made it his business to come down here (is good)… It's important to show solidarity with the community."
In Co Clare, the ESB said the flow of water through Parteen Weir would remain at 470 cubic metres per second today, or around 470,000 litres a second.
The flow will be reviewed again tomorrow as the levels of water in Lough Derg approach 2009 levels.
