‘There’s a risk to life, a risk to health’, says Clontarf councillor demanding flood defence action
A man on a slipway in Clontarf, Dublin, ahead of the arrival of Storm Darragh last year. Photo: PA
Dublin Fire Brigade responding to flooding in Castle Court, Clontarf, in 2023. Photo: @DubFireBrigade
A Clontarf councillor who is demanding more urgent flood defence action, says “there’s a risk to life, a risk to health”.
Fine Gael councillor Clodagh Ní Mhuirí recently wrote to the Minister of State for Planning, John Cummins, to highlight the need for clear timelines around planning decisions and delivery of flood defence projects.
His response outlined the mandatory statutory timeframes that will be introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2024.
“There have been conversations ongoing for 15, if not 20 years about flood defences in Clontarf,” Ms Ní Mhuirí said.
“I’ve been looking into the process ahead and what that will look like. One of the things that stood out to me is the length of time these types of projects tend to take.
“Over the entire 20th century, the estimated rise of the sea level in Dublin Bay was about 150 millimetres, but between 2000 and now, which is a quarter of that time, it’s estimated to have risen 175 millimetres.
“You’re looking at higher sea level, more frequent storms over the last couple of winters, weather warnings of the damage that could be caused by those storms.
“That risk is increasing all the time. If we’re serious about climate action, we need to make sure that people are protected from the effects of that.
Dublin Fire Brigade responding to flooding in Castle Court, Clontarf, in 2023. Photo: @DubFireBrigade
“If your house or business is flooded, that has a lot of wide-ranging impacts. It’s not just something that happens one day and then it’s resolved.
“There’s a risk to life, a risk to health, particularly if you’re looking at maybe older people or people with mobility difficulties that might find it harder to get out of their residence if there is a flood.”
Ms Ní Mhuirí said clear timelines for planning decisions and delivery of flood defence projects is needed urgently, and solutions need to be permanent.
“The longer that you’re waiting for a permanent flood defence, the longer the temporary solutions are in place,” she added.
“I’m always asked what’s happening with the sandbags [on Clontarf seafront], they have been there a long time. People want to see something more permanent.
“If you get through all of those stages of public consultation, design invitations, tender applications, environmental assessments, and you’re then waiting years for a decision on it, it means the risk is increasing all of the time.
“In relation to the flooding that took place in Castle Court and Auburn in 2023, those residents are facing huge insurance costs every year.
“I wrote to the Minister for planning about this. He’s pointed out that the new Planning and Development Act 2024 will begin soon. Under that new act, there will actually be mandatory statutory timeframes for decisions to be made.
“Projects like this, local authority projects that need environmental assessments, a decision will have to be made within 26 weeks of the deadline for submissions on it. That should bring a lot more clarity,” she added.
