The recent spate of local flooding in Ennis and other parts of the county (and indeed in Galway, Cork and other parts of Ireland and the UK) brings into sharp focus the urgent need for flood studies to be reviewed and for the planning system to be reformed to prevent further development on flood plains. In Ennis, work is virtually complete on a multi-million euro flood relief scheme, yet the town has been left in shock by the scale of damage inflicted on residents and businesses after the River Fergus burst its banks in several places.
These regular and prolonged intense rainfall events are something that we must get used to and adapt to. The Celtic Tiger years brought about severe development pressure in the towns and cities, but the authorities failed to manage land zonings correctly and are now counting the cost. The existing and supposedly cutting-edge sustainable drainage management systems (such as SUDS) are now proving themselves to be inadequate and must be overhauled. There is also a clear need for catchment management systems to be constructed retrospectively to older housing areas to provide urgently needed run-off control. In the meantime, there seems little option but to keep deploying the sandbags!
Our thoughts go out to the affected households and businesses. Unfortunately, with further rain and spring tides forecast this week, there may be more to come...