Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has promised her Department is ‘ready to respond’ to flooding in Fermanagh.
During a visit to the county this week, Minister Kimmins highlighted her commitment to delivering for all communities across the North.
“Infrastructure is central to everything we do as a society, and I am determined to continue to address regional imbalance and deliver positive changes for all,” she said.
“I welcomed the opportunity to meet with representatives from Fermanagh and Omagh District Council to discuss a range of key issues including investment in roads and wastewater infrastructure, flood alleviation measures and public transport provision.”
During her visit to Fermanagh, Minister Kimmins also met with local residents at Colebrook River, where it meets Lough Erne, an area that has recently experienced flooding.
“It’s important for me to see first-hand the impact of flooding on local communities,” she said.
“I understand that this time of year can be particularly concerning for residents, especially as we continue to experience more frequent and intense rainfall events driven by climate change, something we have seen again in recent days.
“I want to reassure the local community however that we are ready to respond to emergency flood response when needed with staff on call 24/7, 365 days a year, working alongside our multi-agency partners and Community Resilience Groups.
“For example, during Storm Amy, we worked closely with ESB in Ballyshannon to manage water levels through controlled releases. At the same time our proactive measures such as drainage infrastructure cleaning and strategic pumping helped protect many homes in the west from flooding.”
During her visit the Minister also met with representatives from the Brookeborough and District Community Development Association to hear more about their plans to expand the services they offer within the local community including their proposal to acquire a vacant site in the village.