By Róise Collins
COUNCILLORS have called for emergency planning framework to be put in place for those living in defective concrete homes for future extreme weather warnings following Storm Éowyn.
There were a number of defective concrete homes damaged during the destructive and devastating gusts last weekend, including a house in Malin Head that lost a large section of the gable wall.
On Thursday night, 12 hours before the red weather warning came into effect, Donegal County Council offered refuge to those in vulnerable housing situations.
100% Redress Party councillor Joy Beard outlined that the council’s response was not timely enough, considering that forecasts had predicted the severity of the storm several days before.
“Many families were too late to avail of this sadly as the press release only came out at 5pm.
“Yet we knew this predicted storm was going to be a severe one and it did increase in strength throughout the two days prior.”
She stressed that better planning should be put in place in place for future extreme weather events.
“We must be proactive rather than reactive,” she said.
“These events underline the pressing need for a comprehensive emergency plan.
“Storms are becoming increasingly intense and homes with defective blocks are becoming even more structurally unsafe under these conditions.
“It is imperative now that we prepare for these future events with robust emergency planning for all our citizens here in Donegal,” she said.
So we do need to think of long term solutions to address these challenges that we’re facing.
FREQUENCY
Labour Party councillor Martin Farren also spoke of the increased frequency of severe storms and the impact they are having on families in defective concrete homes.
Cllr Farren is terrified that somebody is going to get very badly injured or killed if a defective concrete house were to fall down in subsequent storms.
“It’s inevitable that something like this is going to happen unless this is addressed,” he said.
Councillor Martin McDermott asked Donegal County Council to write to the new housing minister James Browne to request he meet with the defective concrete block committee as a matter of urgency to raise the issues facing homeowners and to put a plan in place.
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