Galway Bay Fm newsroom-It’s being claimed that the National Parks and Wildlife Service is to blame for the severe flooding experienced across Galway in recent weeks.
That was the view expressed by a large number of Councillors at a special sitting of Galway County Council to discuss the situation across the county.
Councillor Michael Connolly said that it’s abundantly clear what the problems are and how they can be solved – but the NPWS is a major barrier to making progress.
He told the chamber that while he served on the Shannon Basin Advisory Council, massive relief works earmarked for Meelick were stopped over one species of fish.
Councillor Moegie Maher said that over 700 families have been affected by the recent floods – and the NPWS have to take a large share of the blame.
Councillor Michael Fahy suggested that the emergency channel dug from Cahermore to Kinvara to relieve floodwater should be continued back – and said it was far more important than the ‘bats and the bees’.
Councillor Jimmy McClearn remarked that it was ironic that the flooding had destroyed more wildlife in a matter of weeks than any relief action undertaken in over 20 years.
Fellow Councillor Tom Welby agreed, and said that the state body was totally unaccountable and had to be ‘brought to task’.
Councillor Michael Connolly says the situation means vital measures are hitting a brick wall.