What happened in Donegal this week could easily happen in Kerry and despite the devestation wrought by Hurricane Darwin in 2014, the approach is still reactive rather than proactive when it comes to flood defences in the county.
That’s according to Fianna Fáil Cllr John Joe Culloty who says Kerry and Donegal, as counties which share geographical similarities, face the same challenges when it comes to climate change.
Cllr Culloty says flood defence measures are between the OPW the local authorities, citing issues with culverts in Castleisland, which now have been dealt with, however similar flood defence measures have yet to be completed in Glenflesk, another flashpoint.
Cllr Culloty said climate change is now a reality for counties like Kerry and these extreme weather events will likely become more commonplace:
The Fianna Fáil councillor has called for a specific fund to be set up for coastal exposed counties on the western seaboard such as Kerry and Donegal to deal with the cost of repairs and insurance issues arising from extreme weather events:
