Clarification sought on Minister’s remarks
By James Lawless ~ January 14th, 2010. Filed under: Environment, Sallins, Social & Economic.
Last week I spoke of the RTÉ enquiry which led to much acrimony within the Waterways estate at the Minister’s comments which contradicted the technical evidence previously presented. The ful episode can be seen here: http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1063707
Similar claims had also been made in local media at the outset, example here:
02 December 2009 Leinster Leader – http://www.leinsterleader.ie/news/Counting-the-cost-of-the.5876640.jp
Thankfully the local debate has moved on in light of technical investigation and informed commentary from residents and engineers, however the prime time remarks represented a setback.
I spoke to Deputy Michael Fitzpatrick about this after the program and he raised the issue in the Oireachtas this week as follows:
Deputy Michael Fitzpatrick: I shall be brief. I shall mention one or two matters in relation to the flooding and move on to more recent events. There was not that much flooding in Kildare, but nonetheless it was very severe. Some of this was caused by the Liffey, as I mentioned earlier, and the way in which it is managed. We need to examine carefully how the Liffey is managed, because while it is flooding in Clane, it then starts to move down to the Strawberry Beds in Dublin, so there is a whole ripple effect.
Perhaps I can ask Mr. Dowling about the Waterways in Sallins. It was flooded very badly, mainly because of blocked drains and outlets. It would not have been flooded at all if proper maintenance had been done before the event. In a recent television comment, the Minister made reference to the Waterways and said the name indicated the development had been built on a flood plain. I have known this area for many years and it was not built on a flood plain, but rather on what was formerly a pitch and putt course, in a strategic location close to the railway station. It got its name from the Grand Canal which runs through the village and the promotional literature when the development was being sold highlighted the canal as a very special amenity, which it is. Comments such as that are very severe on the people now living in those houses, if they want to sell a house in the Waterways since the Minister has indicated it was built on a flood plain. The position needs to be clarified in the public arena about this particular estate. I appeal to the officials and indeed, the Minister, to clearly state that this enormous estate which contains all the infrastructure needed for a proper development, is not built on a flood plain.
Deputy Michael Fitzpatrick: I have one more question for Mr. Dowling, whose answer he may communicate to the committee later. I made a comment earlier about waterways in Sallins. A statement was made by the Minister on television which has the potential to devalue properties in the area substantially and many people are under stress due to this. Most of them are in negative equity at the moment and if his comments stood up, it would be serious for them.
Chairman: I will assist the Deputy. He has raised the matter and the committee will write to the Minister in this regard. We will try to obtain a transcript of the Minister’s comments. I saw the broadcast myself and I remember a certain phrase he used about the name of the estate, but I did not think of the consequences for the estate. We will obtain a transcript and ask the Minister to clarify his comments. We will write to the Minister rather than ask Mr. Dowling.
The full transcript can be seen here.
January 14th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
That’s excellent that the matter was raised in the Dail. Now let’s hope the Minister responds with a sincere retraction of his flood plain remark.
But this is really only a side issue. The root of the problem appears not to be one for the Minister or our TDs to deal with, but rather our councillors. They have alot to answer for and they have alot of work themselves to do before the flooding problem at the Waterways is solved.
Let’s hope that Kildare County Council, who in their local authority capacity are responsible for planning, water and drainage matters in the county, will serve their purpose and deliver a gilt-edge solution for the Waterways.
One must wonder, however, about the whereabouts of our elected councillors. They took on the obligations of serving the people of Kildare on behalf of the County Council in June 2009. Their behaviour to date warrants questioning of their suitability in their elected positions.