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A NEW MORE precise flood forecasting system for Ireland has been delayed due to difficulties in sourcing expert staff, a Department of Housing official has told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Met Éireann is due to take over flood forecasting from the Office of Public Works (OPW) and will be deploying more advanced systems.
Recently, flooding in Midleton, Co Cork, saw families and businesses devastated as over 100 properties sustained substantial damage, and properties in other areas across the country. The committee also heard that the repair efforts in the wake of Storm Babet will cost over €100 million.
Graham Doyle, secretary general of the Department of Housing, which is responsible for Met Éireann funding, said that the new forecasting system is being delayed because it is difficult to procure staff with suitable expertise.
Doyle said that the delays in bringing in a new forecasting system didn’t, in his view, “affect those recent events”, but said that having an updated system is the goal going forward.
James O’Connor, a Cork TD, said there is a real need for an early warning system.
“Someone has to take the responsibility here,” the TD told officials.
He said that local authorities become “overwhelmed” when flooding events happen on the scale that Midleton faced.
“These events are going to become more common, and we are poorly equipped to handle them,” O’Connor said.
Minister Eamon Ryan yesterday said that the devastating floods that hit parts of southern counties during Storm Babet showed that climate change is happening in Ireland.
Doyle told O’Connor that Met Éireann is taking on flood forecasting, and will be “putting in place a professional approach, and applying best international practice to it”.
He also disagreed with the TD’s suggestion that Met Éireann had got it “very wrong” by not issuing a Red Weather Warning for the storm.
Doyle said the highest level of weather warning causes great disruption, especially to schools and transport, and that the worst effects were felt in local areas, and so localised advice is what is needed.
Met Éireann recently launched its new advanced weather radar system at Shannon Airport, which is also aimed at making forecasting “more precise”.
The new system provides more accurate rainfall information, and rainfall radar maps.
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He sounds like an inspirational man.
A talented engineer with a great cause.
Always a recipe for success.
I wish Enda and his team, the best of luck.
Well done to Enterprise Ireland for backing them.
Excellent idea. Hope he publishes his data. In terms of language use here, it would be preferable to say ‘children with autism’ rather than ‘autistic’.There is so much more to these children than just their diagnosis.
Typical Irish we’d find something wrong in everything, even a good news story like this. Very cynical of you to assume people fail to see the child beyond the diagnosis. It is what it is, I don’t think worrying about how it’s put is up there on the list of priorities. And yes I have an autistic family member.
By that logic it would be preferable to say human of lesser years rather than children.
Richard, you make a lot of assumptions there. I’m a child psychologist and am very enthused about this project as I stated in my comment. As I work extensively in the area of special educational needs, it is common place to refer to children as such. You may disagree, but I know that some professionals, families and children themselves prefer less categorical descriptions.
Sounds like he knows his stuff, can’t fault anything he said.
I’m also delighted children with language disorder are also included.
It is factually incorrect to say that all children diagnosed with ASD or language disorders are highly intelligent individuals. This program costs €100 per week and its efficacy is unproven by proper research and evaluative studies…
He did not say ‘all’ children. Straw man.
He left it to the common sense of the reader to determine the meaning. A dangerous assumption, with respect, to the miserati Irish.
The program costs €100 per week. And?
It’s a company. It has to charge to make a profit, to keep it in business. Jesus wept.
It’s a company that has convinced enough people to invest in it, with their results and the possibility of results.
They are constantly researching which is where results come from. It’s where all engineering and scientific progress begins with.
Now, to go back to bed, son.
Read back on your comment David and ask yourself should you have really posted such a moronic response.
You find it acceptable for a company to convince people to invest in their programme, ( nay, in the future of their children), because they need to make a profit!….?
” The program costs €100 per week. And?It’s a company. It has to charge to make a profit, to keep it in business. Jesus wept. It’s a company that has convinced enough people to invest in it, with their results and the possibility of results. ”
They have NO EMPIRICAL RESULTS whatever as to the efficacy of the program.
You say, “They are constantly researching which is where results come from. ”
I suspect that you’re a low-life trollix, or an investor in said company.
Before I go back to bed as you suggested, I’d like to inform you that I’ve been deeply involved in the welfare and education of children with ASD for the past fourteen years and have learned during that time to view ALL ” sure cure programmes” with a very jaundiced eye.
I personally would be very reluctant to pay €100 per week for a program, not shown by proper research to be in any way effective, the sale of which is based solely on the assurance by the CEO of the company that it helped his children.
Basing a business on the hopes and dreams of people who struggle to cope with ASD and its impact on their daily lives, without proof of success, leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I have expertise in this area…what do you have, “son”?
You cannot even get the basics right.
1. It’s €100 per month, not per week. You were corrected already.
“You find it acceptable for a company to convince people to invest in their programme, ( nay, in the future of their children), because they need to make a profit!….?”
Another straw man. 2 in the one article. Maybe you are just confused.
1. Consumers don’t invest, they pay a price for a product/service.
2. Investors, invest, to make a profit or else they invest to make a loss. Anything else is charity. Profit is the indication of efficiency. It’s what pays the wages and brings the product to the market.
“I suspect that you’re a low-life trollix, or an investor in said company.”
Ah, the Irish use of the word, Troll. i.e for anyone whose points, you cannot refute.
I am not an investor in this private company although I wish I was.
‘Jaundiced eye’ means bias. You are taking an opinion before appraised of the facts. Page one of the scientific method. You have made statements that you have no evidence to back up. You know nothing about this company yet have already condemned it.
Pixar have put their name behind it. Whose due diligence is better, yours or theirs.
Enterprise Ireland have put money into it but you know better.
“ot shown by proper research to be in any way effective, the sale of which is based solely on the assurance by the CEO of the company that it helped his children.”
Gee, if only EI and Pixar had thought of that.
More supposition. Do you understand the difference between a commercial product and a scientific experiment? I have an Iphone and Imac, not backed by peer review, yet for some strange reason, they perform excellently. I can see they perform excellently hence I buy them.
Their product and their internal tests are empirical results. What you mean is that they have not been independently peer reviewed(even that, is only an assumption) Stop using words that you don’t understand.
‘Without proof of success…’
Why the did Pixar, EI invest then?
“I have expertise in this area…what do you have”
12 HL Languages, 5 Assembly languages and years of successful product implementation.
Anything else?
No, well get out of the way then and let the engineers go to work, making the world better.
Ireland. Unbelievable sometimes.
Rather than waste time pointing out the multiple inaccuracies in your response I will merely remark that your whole view of this business is based on a sociopathic “greed is good” premise, showing no concern whatever for the welfare of the ASD children.
Oh, and by the way, there’s actually nothing wrong with charity. Perhaps this is where our opinions diverge…
I met this man and he is a genius.When you have a child who cannot communicate you have behaviour issues and frustration.I wish this project was there when my child was non verbal.
In starting this with my son next week and its not €100 a week, it’s €100 a month. Well worth the money considering one 45 min session with speech therapist is €65+. This is exactly what my son needs. And those with the negative comments, it’s obvious that this is not an everyday worry for you and if ye knew what it was line , you would realise this is a god send. Just think about all the proof that would of had to be given for Pixar to put their name to it.
Talked to Enda myself and he is a lovely man. A gentleman and a big thank you to him for this. He has experienced all sides of autism so knows what he is talking about.
Go Enda!!
Best of Luck, Emma, to you are your son.
It is an exciting prospect.
This is great news.
Well done to Enda Dodd, his team and Enterprise Ireland.
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