One week on from the start of the flooding crisis in Athlone, local Town Council
Mayor, Cllr Mark Cooney, has praised the concerted co-ordinated response of
the various agencies dealing with problems on the ground. Over the course
of the week, up to 250 houses have been affected by the flooding, with a total
of 95 being totally flooded. An Emergency Response Team headed up by Athlone
Town Council, has managed the distribution of 20,000 sandbags which in some
areas such as Wolfe Tone Terrace have kept the waters at bay. Responsibility
in this area is shared between the Council staff and the local Defence Forces
from Custume Barracks which joined the flood relief effort on Tuesday 24th.
In all 50 local authority staff, and 30 Defence Force staff operating on a
rota basis, have been available around the clock.
Many who have found their homes flooded, have sought shelter with friends and relations, while the Athlone Town Council Housing Department has provided temporary accommodation at various locations for 24 families. The Town Council and the H.S.E. Community Welfare Service are continuing their co-ordinated efforts to deal with housing issues as they arise, and will continue to do so in the short-term.
Cllr Cooney also praised the Gardaí and the Civil Defence for their assistance in the flood relief effort. The Gardaí have provided assistance in terms of traffic management, security patrols and evacuations, while the Civil Defence have also played an important role in terms of voluntary effort on the ground.
The Mayor retained his highest words of praise for what he termed “the resilience, community spirit, and selflessness” of those affected, and their neighbours and friends for the way in which they had responded to this horrible invasion on their personal lives over the past week.
The Co-Ordination Unit headed up by Mr. Barry Kehoe, Director of Service, is currently focusing on the consolidation of the existing situation, while the water level stabilises, and is also paying particular attention to future housing requirements in conjunction with the H.S.E., rural isolation in terms of access to schools, social services and farming requirements. A rota has been put in place using army vehicles to bring children to and from school, and to deal with other access problems as they arise. Ongoing liaison between the co-ordinating group and the Gardaí is being maintained around the clock to deal with any issues of public safety which may arise. The coordination unit has stressed the importance of maintaining contact with Athlone town council which is maintaining a database of those affected in order to ensure that resources are appropriately targeted.
With one eye on the aftermath of this ongoing crisis, the County Manager,
Daniel McLoughlin confirmed that he had established a separate group to examine
potential issues arising once the flood waters recede. Mr. McLoughlin indicated
that he is “conscious that residents will look to local and national
agencies for support in dealing with what is likely to be a very difficult
and costly clean-up operation”. He confirmed that once the nature
of the supports available are clarified, the Council will make every effort
to provide comprehensive assistance to deal with the cleaning of streets and
green spaces, the provision of skips and the restoration of normal services.