Local Green Party representative, James Nix, has called on Limerick City Council to protect the city’s floodplains, following the disastrous flooding over the past few weeks, which destroyed many homes and businesses in Newcastle West.

Flood warning from James Nix, Limerick Green Party

Mr Nix said, if elected in the upcoming local elections, which he is to run in, he would work to protect Limerick's low-lying areas.

“Now more than ever, we need to preserve the areas that nature relies on in times of flooding. With the recent boundary extension in Limerick, over 2,000 hectares of land, much of it in Coonagh and Clonmacken, now lies in the Limerick City Council area,” Mr Nix said.

“It is vital that no illegal infilling takes place in these areas, as it will inevitably cause water to back up elsewhere. This leads to devastating consequences for residents who buy in flood risk areas. If elected, I will defend Limerick's low-lying areas and direct development towards under-used and more suitable land,” James Nix added.

The Green Party spokesman said that flooding could be further avoided by better using land that has already been built on. He added that it would be unwise for the City Council to grant any further permission for infilling at Coonagh and Clonmacken given the need to protect homes.

“The only sure and certain way of preventing this from happening again is active local democracy in which those who stand for common good prevail over individual interests. The casting of our votes at local elections is the greatest protection we have against future floodplain rezoning,” Mr Nix said.

Mr Nix described extreme weather conditions “such as the mass flooding we've seen in Limerick, Carlow, Dublin and across the North” could almost certainly be related to the changing weather patterns, as predicted by climate change experts.

“It is not until these weather conditions actually strike, that the devastating effects of climate change come home to us,” he explained.

“In Limerick, we need to make better use of the land we have already built on. With vacancy rates high across much of Georgian Limerick a key priority is to return these buildings to more active use. We must focus on what incentives might be introduced so that these proud but empty houses can return to being homes,” Mr Nix said.

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