Responding to flooding crisis

Sir, – Yesterday, on passing by some flooded areas of the country, the dreadful plight of the people whose homes and businesses are devastated made me realise how lucky the majority of us are not to have to endure the horrors visited so gratuitously on those unfortunate people since early December. Now as I write this in my warm and comfortable home, I am trying to envisage what it must be like to keep one’s sanity in the face of such damage to property and belongings, not to mention health and wellbeing. I ask myself is there anything that can be done by those of us who live far from the flood victims and therefore unable to help personally.

I think there is. We could stand up and be counted. We could and should demand that the problem be treated as a top priority by all elected politicians, whether in Government or Opposition, and tell them we will hold them to account. It is the least we can do for our poor fellow citizens who have suffered so distressingly during what should have been a season of joy and happiness. – Yours, etc,

GEAROID KILGALLEN,

Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.