Cllrs' dismay at delay in tackling flooding threat in Bettystown

Councillors have voiced their frustration over the lack of progress in finding solutions to combat serious flooding in the Bettystown area.

Torrential rain coupled with high tides saw over 30 homes in Bettystown destroyed by flooding in August 2023.

A number of homes on the Golf Links Road and the Village estate in Bettystown were also damaged in a second flooding incident in October of the same year.

An update on the long awaited OPW report into the incidents was met with frustration at the recent Laytown/Bettystown Municipal District Meeting with councillors describing the speed at which it is being worked on as "disappointing."

The OPW commissioned RPS consulting engineers to carry out a study of the flood events in three phases.

The meeting was told that the OPW has received the Bettystown and Mornington Flood Event Investigation report from the engineering consultants outlining recommendations which has been shared with Meath County Council who are now reviewing its contents. The local authority is to meet with the OPW at the end of this month to finalise the report.

Separately, a Meath Coastal Flooding and Erosion Study is being carried out.

The local authority assured councillors that in the interim they had pumps on standby for critical locations, an increased stock of sandbags, screens checked regularly and after rainfall events. In addition Meath Co Council said it carried out maintenance runs on the drainage network in November 2024. However, local representatives called for urgent action to tackle the issue and implement a plan.

"I'm actually really, really disappointed that it has taken this long to get so few details," said Fine Gael Cllr Sharon Tolan. "I fully expected that today that we would see a report with the options for both schemes," she added.

"Those flooding events happened in people's homes 18 months ago now. Every time we get heavy rain out here and a high tide we have people really living in fear. Many of them have struggled with insurance or have been unable to make repairs to their homes in fear of more flooding events.

"I really want answers to questions like how this could have happened and how it was not foreseen in this area.

"Surely there should be short term, medium term and long term solutions.

"The gabions are crumbling, they are actually a danger to the public right now. There are people down there swimming, if they swim at high tide they could swim against those broken gabions.

"The wires are coming out and our public lighting is actually sinking and tilting.

"I am really concerned that we will not get anything delivered that will either protect a home or a coastline within the next five to ten years.

"I have never been an alarmist, I'm a realist, standing in people's homes while they were sunken under water is something that I never ever want to have to do again. Quicker action needs to be taken and to see the proposed solutions. "

Meanwhile Independent Cllr Carol Lennon says affected residents deserve answers.

"I studied Geography for my Junior Cert and that is the extent of my knowledge of the environment, however I do understand that the tide comes in and it goes out. "And I know that every time the tides comes in the Laytown/Bettystown area and there is rainfall, we get flooding."

"It is happening because people approved building on flood plains. People living there send emails every week who are just looking for councillors to listen to them and I have made many representations on their behalf and we have heard nothing back.

"We don't need more reports, we need action.

"Every time there is an issue, a wall is built and the problem moves further down stream, water always finds a way, that's basic physics."

Sinn Fein Cllr Maria White said there was no mention of any interim measures or focus on improving coastal erosion or sense of urgency. “It is really frustrating because it is happening in front of our eyes, we are losing a fantastic natural resource."

Fine Gael Cllr Paddy Meade asked Meath Co Council if councillors could seek a variation to the county development plan to ensure no further housing developments get the green light on potential flood plains.

"The houses that flooded two years ago, when they were zoned initially were zoned for tourism so they were short term lets, that was then upgraded to residential in the last county development plan," said Cllr Meade.

"As a collective we all have to take responsibility for it," he added.

"There would not be houses on flood plains unless elected councillors zoned the land. My question is are you concerned about any other land that is now zoned.

“Do you believe that we should vary our county development plan in any way seeking variation to unzone any of the current zoned land."

"We have potentially other houses being at the moment that might flood or houses that will be built next year or the year after and we can stop that."

Director of Services, Fiona Fallon told Cllr Meade that the Meath County Council senior engineer Gerry Boyle was there to answer questions about the report and not to discuss a planning process from the past.

"Our ambition is to have this done as quickly as possible but I'm not going to come in here and say it is going to be delivered overnight," said Mr Boyle.

"It is major multi-million euro project that is going to take a number of years to finalise," he added.