Residents and businesses in Foynes and Askeaton will have one eye on the River Shannon and another on the forecast this coming weekend when very high tides are forecast on Friday and Saturday.

The possibility of a repeat of the devastating flooding which occurred just four weeks ago is a major concern for the already damaged buildings in Foynes. The clean-up continues this week and the last thing people want is the threat of another flood.

Shannon Foynes Port Company and Limerick County Council have already carried out works in the area to try to prevent more flooding.

Brian Hayes TD, Minister of State, whose res-ponsibility includes the Office of Public Works, visited Foynes last Friday and met with the various bodies when plans for the future were discussed.

At the meeting the minister was told by local commu-nity representatives that the January flood had caused huge problems in the community in Foynes and that there was a need for all the State bodies to work together to help those affected, and to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Local TD Patrick O’Donovan said it was important that the channels of communication remained open, and he asked the State agencies to make sure that the local community is kept updated on any developments. He said he intended to keep in contact with Minister Brian Hayes, the OPW, Limerick County Council and the Shannon Foynes Port Company on behalf of those affected.