RELIEF EFFORTS:THE GOVERNMENT'S Emergency Response Co-ordination Committee chairman Seán Hogan says peak levels may have been detected on the river Shannon.
However, the “indicated” peak is on the 256km river’s upper reaches, and it could still take three weeks for the enormous volume of water to work its way south to the sea, given the gradient of the Shannon corridor, Mr Hogan said.
South Galway, the midlands and lower Shannon remain in “severe difficulty”, Mr Hogan said, and high tides due early next week will also have an “impact”, while Cork was in a “clean-up phase”.
Northerly winds and torrential rain in parts of the west and midwest yesterday made for challenging conditions as relief efforts continued, several houses in the Shannon callows had to be evacuated, and farmers and contractors in south Galway volunteered to deliver emergency fodder to marooned neighbours.
The ESB said yesterday that water levels in Lough Derg “continued to rise”, but the rate had fallen with only a centimetre recorded in a 24-hour period to yesterday morning.
It said that there would be no increased discharge from Parteen weir and the situation was under “constant review”.
Mr Hogan said records showed some 1,500 people had been affected by flooding, but this could be a very conservative estimate as it did not include those who had evacuated themselves from their homes.
He said that up to 5,000 local authority personnel were working with the Garda, HSE West, Defence Forces and Irish Coast Guard, where needed, and there had been a “tremendous inter-agency response” through implementation of local action plans.
Mr Hogan reiterated an Irish Coast Guard warning that people attempting to check boats at the weekend should only do so with a lifejacket on, in pairs and where the boat was accessible.
Generally people should not be “complacent”, when travelling or moving around flood-prone areas, he said and HSE heath guidelines should be followed where people were attempting to return to houses which had been flooded.
Irish Coast Guard Killaloe unit director Michael Quigley said “flood tourists” were hampering relief efforts – a point also highlighted by IFA environment spokesman Michael Kelly in south Galway.
“We appreciate any positive support, but we have dozens of people arriving with cameras, some taking silly risks and getting in the way,” Mr Kelly said.
In Galway, money raised from the €14 million sale of a family pub is to be released by the St Vincent de Paul to help flood victims.
The charity received an estimated €7 million from the sale of O’Connell’s pub in Eyre Square. The late owner, Maureen O’Connell, donated her business to the charity when she died 11 years ago. However, it was not put up for auction for almost eight years due to legal wrangles, and recorded €14 million when sold three years ago.
The charity yesterday was unable to specify how much money would be allocated, but said it would be distributed around the county.
Ballinasloe St Vincent de Paul has been overwhelmed with offers of clothes and household items, and the Galway housing charity Cope is collecting for flood relief, and taking offers of certain goods in Eyre Square shopping centre from noon to 6pm today.
HSE West has established an information line, 1800-283036, which will be open from 8am to 10pm today.
Callers will be asked to provide their name, address, contact number, PPS number and details of the service they require, and staff will then provide information on the services available to assist them. A separate counselling helpline will also be provided from early next week, HSE West said yesterday.
Hundreds of households in Co Limerick and east Clare remain on flood alert. Parts of Castleconnell and Montpelier remain inaccessible. The OPW is also constructing a major flood defence from Athlunkard Bridge to Hampstead Park in Limerick.