Gorey Echo photographer, Christy Farrell, captured this stormy moment at Courtown Pier last week. It was the second serious storm to batter the area in a month.
It was announced today by Wexford County Council that the cost of flood repairs in North Wexford has risen to €2.5 million.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fail’s Deputy John Browne raised the matter of flooding in Co. Wexford in Dáil Eireann with a primary focus on Courtown Harbour.
Outlining the situation in great detail, Deputy Browne said:
“The flooding in the past week or ten days has caused problems in every county, including Wexford. We are dealing today with Courtown Harbour.
The Courtown Harbour and Pier Association has been in touch with me about the problems caused by storms in recent weeks. It states the pier at the back strand and boulders have been swept into the channel and that silting has occurred at the entrance, with the result that fishermen cannot put out to sea.
As the Minister will be aware, coming from the south-east, Courtown is very dependent on tourism and fishing.
In recent years, despite repeated requests and efforts by Wexford County Council to secure funding to upgrade the harbour at Courtown, nothing has happened to date.
The piers are in a dangerous state of disrepair and there are massive holes where the concrete facing on the front of both piers has fallen off. The pylons are rusted and some have fallen off.
The storm caused massive damage to the coastline and it is a miracle that the piers are still standing.
As well as being a fishing harbour with five fishing trawlers, the harbour depends very much on tourism. There are leisure boats and yachts. Many other types of boat use the harbour regularly.
However, because of the silting they are unable to gain access.
The yachting club made an application to Wexford County Council to drain the harbour to carry out some necessary works, but it seems this did not happen because the club was told it could not do so for health and safety reasons.
The club was willing to put up half the money, which would have benefitted all the people using the harbour.
Perhaps the Minister of State will respond on how this problem can be addressed. If organisations are prepared to put up money, surely the Government and the Council should reciprocate by putting forward money.
Full story this week in THE GOREY ECHO.
