TUV Cllr Roy Gillespie has criticised the poor response provided by the agencies with responsibility for flooding. In a statement Cllr Gillespie stated:

“I have been contacted by a number of constituents regarding flooding over the last two weeks. When they attempted to seek assistance by telephoning the flooding incident line they were offered little assistance or guidance. Furthermore when the TUV advice centre contacted the same line they were informed that they could not even provide sandbags to assist with a specific flooding incident.

I am aware that as a result an Orange Hall that was flooded has sustained £20,000 of damage. Undoubtedly some of that damage could have been prevented if the Hall Committee had secured simple sandbags.

Jim Allister’s Advice Centre has since been informed by the Rivers Agency that they will provide sandbags but only when a property is being flooded and at which stage significant damage may already have been sustained.

I would therefore urge property owners to make every effort to purchase sandbags before the winter weather deteriorates. Such a measure may help reduce the damage caused by flooding.

The Rivers Agency have further informed Jim Allister’s Advice Centre that they will assist in the event of a flood however it is evident that the Flooding Incident Line of which members of the public are advised to telephone in an emergency did not liaise with the Rivers Agency in the example I have cited.

The public were assured in 2009 when the Flooding Incident Line was set-up that they need only contact the flooding incident line by the then Programme Director Tom Kennedy who stated:

“While this new number cannot undo the damage caused by flooding, it will make it simpler for people to report incidents. They will no longer have to decide whether to phone Rivers Agency, Roads Service or NI Water or wonder which telephone number to ring.”

As winter fast approaches the Chief Executive of NI Water has resigned and it is apparent that the various agencies tasked to manage flooding are unprepared, one must question if Stormont can deliver this winter."