Clare Co Council indicated yesterday that it would compensate Kilkee householders after remedial works the council carried out on the resort's sewage scheme contributed towards large scale flooding which damaged a number of homes in the resort on Wednesday morning.
County Engineer, Mr Tom Carey, said yesterday: "Clare Co Council will not be found wanting. If the responsibility is shown to be ours, then we will have to face up to that."
Mr Carey said in the event of home-owners submitting claims for damage caused to premises, the claims would be referred to the council's insurers.
Wednesday's flooding occurred after a severe localised thunderstorm. Remedial works carried out by Clare Co Council at the resort's Victoria Stream blocked the floodwaters and caused water levels to increase in the Marine Parade area of the resort effecting an estimated 30 houses.
Mr Carey added: "We will have to review the situation in the light of what happened and examine all our options and whatever has to be done will be done very quickly."
Visitors staying at Marine Parade held a protest meeting on Wednesday. A number of houses were reported to have water levels of 1 1/2 ft.
The remedial works were carried out as part of the council's programme to keep Kilkee's beach pollution free at the resort's Victoria Stream.
Chairman of Kilkee Town Commissioners, Dr Tom Nolan said yesterday full responsibility for the flooding lay with the council, adding that there was a public health issue as he claimed the storm water was mixed with sewage.
He said: "The town doesn't need this following the relative disaster of last year when people couldn't go into the bathing waters because of the public health issue attaching to that and now people couldn't go into their back yard because of the public health risk attaching to that."
Dr Nolan cited the latest figures from the Revenue Commissioners showing that since 1995 £64.8 million has been spent on development through the Resort Renewal Scheme at Kilkee with the potential cost to the Exchequer through tax reliefs at £28.5 million. However, Mr Carey said the absence of a new sewage treatment plant was not a factor in Wednesday morning's flooding incident.
