An independent TD is calling on the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) to clarify what efforts he is making to ensure that the Mountmellick Flood Relief Scheme will not falter in planning delays.
Laois-Offaly TD Carol Nolan called on Minister Patrick O’Donovan to ensure that the flood relief scheme for the Co. Laois town “will not be subjected to additional delays because of a dysfunctional planning system”.
Nolan highlighted that Minister O’Donovan had recently said that flood defence works around the country are being held up due to objections from people who Nolan claimed have “no connection to the areas in which the proposed flood works are scheduled to take place”.
“The fact that we have a government minister publicly acknowledging that important and long overdue flood defence works, like those in Mountmellick, are essentially hostage to a ‘not fit for purpose’ methodology in planning is both welcome and deeply alarming.”
However, the TD argued that the minister “does not have the luxury of being a spectator in this process”.
“We know that the public consultation regarding the three emerging options for the Mountmellick Flood Relief Scheme, that was held in April, was extended into May,” Nolan pointed out.
“This followed on from a previous public consultation in November 2019.”
She went on: “What we do not know at this point is which of the emerging options have been selected following the latest consultation and whether or not the minister and this government are going to take any steps to assist the delivery of that option by fixing the broken planning system.
“The residents of Mountmellick and beyond need clarity and certainty that the minister will take steps to address these problems once a decision on the preferred option is made,” Nolan argued.
The TD concluded: “If this does not happen then we may be facing significant further delays, which would be totally unacceptable and grossly unfair to the affected communities.”