The Government don't give a dam about the flooding still going on in east Limerick, according to the secretary of a local pressure group as the success of the Cappamore Flood Scheme was celebrated on national radio.

Last week, The Engineers Eye on Radio One featured Office of Public Works Engineer, Tom Joyce, as he visited the Mulkear River and described how flooding in Cappamore was stopped.

But farmer and Mulkear Co-op secretary, David Thompson, said that areas such as Dromkeen and Pallasgreen continue to have flooding problems because the third phase of relief work has not been carried out.

Cappamore was included in Phase Two of the scheme, which began in 1998 and ended in 2001. "Many people, since the 1950s, tried to get work done to ease flooding and we got promises but no action. Tipperary TD Michael Lowry and Limerick Deputy Michael Noonan pushed for it and Cork TD Hugh Coveney eventually had plans drawn up. Phase One covered the Newport area and Phase Two covered Cappamore but the third one- to cover the main channel- still hasn't started."

Mr Thompson said the last phase is most important and local people were given a pledge that it would be started immediately after phase two in 2001 after there were objections to the schedule of work. "It made less sense to do the two other phases first. We have written promises from everyone from Bertie Ahern to Garret Fitzgerald that the work would be done. We met with Tom Parlon but when he went out of office we were told that there is no record of these meetings," he added.

The documentary, available for download on rte.ie, also prompted people from Cappamore to describe conditions before the relief work.

Oliver Dillon of the Cappamore Development Association said that for over 40 years at least, the lower section of the town flooded extensively after an hour of rain or more.

The documentary, available for download on rte.ie, also prompted people from Cappamore to describe conditions before the relief work.

Oliver Dillon of the Cappamore Development Association said that for over 40 years at least, the lower section of the town flooded extensively after an hour of rain or more.

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