After the storm – work starts on repairing the battered west
Works have commenced to restore storm-battered Galway after Government confirmed an allocation of almost €10 million to repair the county’s infrastructure following the worst winter storms in decades.
Galway County Council has confirmed that repair works will intensify in the next few weeks as grant aid filters down.
And it’s an ill wind that blows no good as several local contractors and consultants are to be hired to carry out the work in conjunction with the local authority, bringing with it a mini construction employment boost. It has been confirmed that some of the repair projects will be carried out in-house but a substantial amount of the works will be contracted out, which will provide employment locally.
“We will do some of the work using our own direct labour but a substantial part of it will be contracted out. I would say we will do the roads ourselves but the coastal protection schemes will be contracted. There is a substantial body of work there over two years,” said Senior Engineer at Galway County Council, Evan Molloy.
The local authority expects that the bulk of the ‘major’ repairs will be completed later this year. Some less urgent works will be carried out next year and possibly the year after.
The Council had sought an allocation of just over €18 million to cover the cost of the repair works though that is not a ‘fixed’ figure and continues to rise as the damage is assessed.
Minister for Environment, Phil Hogan this week confirmed a grant of €9.491 million for the Council, which will be used to repair roads, piers, graveyards and other infrastructure that was hammered by the storms of December, January and February.
Connemara, and the Aran Islands and Inishboffin were worst affected areas but some monies will also be used for repair works at flood-ravaged South Galway.
A further once-off €477,750 reimbursement was allocated – that amount is to be used to cover the costs of the clean-up immediately after the storms, including removing seaweed, shingle and debris from roads and piers.
That leaves a shortfall of about €8 million but the local authority has been assured that this money, which is earmarked for medium-term and long-term coastal protection schemes, will be granted by the OPW.
See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune