Tipperary council to receive €1.1m for Storm Chandra road repairs
Tipperary County Council is set to get more than €1million in additional funding after Storm Chandra battered the county in January.
Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien announced that the county would get an extra €1.1million to help the council to repair the roads that had beens left in a poor condition after the storm.
The winter storm in January saw parts of Clonmel flood, but overall, Tipperary was lucky to be spared the worst of it.
An update issued by the local authority at the time said that the town’s flood defences had held up as they were expected to.
“The flood protection system is performing exactly as designed and continues to safeguard the town,” the council said in a statement.
The Clonmel flood relief scheme is designed to allow controlled flooding in certain areas to protect the rest of the town. It includes a removable wall to hold back flood waters when river levels rise significantly, as well as non-return valves to prevent water backing up through road gullies and manholes.
The council said that during Storm Chandra, their teams were inspecting the defences, including checking and maintaining embankments, testing flood barriers and servicing pumping stations.
Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien said that extreme weather events are becoming more common across Ireland, and that the Government will help wherever possible.
“Extreme weather events leave significant damage in their wake and Government is committed to supporting our local authorities to ensure the condition of our road network is maintained,” he said.
Junior minister with responsibility for road transport, Seán Canney said that the protection of road networks was “vital”.
“The protection and maintenance of our regional and local roads is vital for the safety of all road users, as well as supporting the people and businesses who rely on our road network.
“The funding provided will enable our local authorities to carry out the much-needed remediation of storm damage,” he added.
Junior minister for rural transport Jerry Buttimer said that the funding would help to keep communities connected.
“The funding made available will ensure that priority work can be undertaken by local authorities to restore our regional and local roads, keeping our rural communities and businesses connected and protected,” he said.
Nationwide, more than 130 roads were found to need complete reconstruction, while a further 440 had faced significant damage.
Tipperary received €1.1 million from the €40 million national allocation to help with repair costs, with Wexford getting the single highest amount of €13.49m.