Ballylinan households ‘suffering’ for years with floods

People living in a dozen houses in Ballylinan are ‘suffering’ due to flooding and the problem has gone unresolved for at least five years even though a solution was never followed through because the money could not be found, Laois County Councillors have claimed.

Cllr Padraig Fleming asked for an update on the plans to resolve what he called serious flooding on the Rahin Road in the east Laois village.

He said the problems also affects road infrastructure, paths making them unsafe.

“The people are suffering a lot. The water is lodging outside their gates,” he said at the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District meeting in December .

Philip McVeigh, Senior Executive Engineer replied to the motion firstly in writing.

“Laois County Council is currently assessing several options to resolve the flooding issue at this location. Once the preferred option is confirmed we will seek funding for the cost of the works,” he said.

Cllr Fleming wanted to know where the money would come from and what type of measures could be taken.

Mr McVeigh said the Department of Transport budget for Laois would be approved in January 2021.

Cllr Fleming said that if the funding did not come, something would have to be done.

But Cllr Ben Brennan insisted that a plan was already in place. He outlined the details and said it was prepared three years ago and would not be costly.

“It never happened,” insisted the Independent councillor. “ Funding was the problem and we have the same thing again,” he said.

However, Mr McVeigh said money is not the problem it is now an issue of finding a solution that works.

Cllr Fleming welcomed the statement that finding funding would not be a problem.