Council given extra time to use Monaghan town flood relief funding

Monaghan County Council has been granted an extension to spend flood relief funding for Monaghan town.

In 2019, €500,000 was allocated to construct a new culvert in the centre of the town.

The OPW provided the half a million euro to be specifically used for flood mitigation works on the Broad Road and Castle Road area.

Responding to a recent question by Councillor Paudge Connolly, the local authority said that to date, €130,000 had been spent on ecological surveys, Part 8 approval and detailed design.

Focus has been put on the funding in recent weeks, after Aldi announced it wouldn't be proceeding with plans for a Monaghan town store after "unsuccessful negotiations" with Monaghan County Council on flood relief and remediation works outside of the Aldi site boundary at McNally's Car Park - the same area that was allocated funding.

Shannonside Northern Sound News understands the issue with the German retailer related to who would be responsible for carrying out the works and building the culvert.

The Office of Public Works had set a deadline of late 2021 for the funding to be used up, however Monaghan County Council had been seeking an extension to this.

In a statement to Shannonside Northern Sound, it was confirmed that the OPW granted an extension until November 2022.

Councillor Connolly was told the funds are ring fenced, and must be used on the same flood mitigation measures as before.