A DONEGAL County Councillor has shared how residents are living in fear that their properties are going to be flooded as they await the delivery of flood relief schemes.
Cllr Noel Jordan tabled a motion at Monday’s plenary council meeting.
He called for the Office of Public Works (OPW) to provide an increase in the flood risk mitigation fund so that emergency works can be carried out in the interim on released capital flood relief schemes.
Since 2018 a total of 17 flood relief projects have been identified for Donegal.
Cllr Jordan said the current process on these projects is “far too slow” and stressed it could be years before some of them go to construction.
Fellow Sinn Féin Cllr Gerry McMonagle asked the council for a timeline for the projects in the county.
Director of Water and Environmental Services Michael McGarvey acknowledged that the process is both “slow” and “frustrating”.
He explained that ongoing assessment of available capacity within the OPW and DCC as well as the private sector will be made with a view to commencing work on schemes which are not in the first phase as soon as possible.
“However, it is not possible to say at this point in time when that might be, only to advise that it is unlikely to be within the next 18 months,” Mr McGarvey added.
Cllr Jordan stressed that these delays are not fair and that “some people will be deceased before work starts”.
