TUV Councillor and South Down Assembly candidate Henry Reilly has slammed the EU imposed 2000 Water Frameworks Directive.
Councillor Reilly said:
“The restrictions contained in the directive on dredging rivers and farm sheuchs is exacerbating the problem of flooding throughout Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
“We have had extreme weather conditions but the EU directive actually dictates that land contiguous to rivers should be given flood plain status which allows the Rivers Agency a derrogation of duty in stopping flooding but allows valuable and productive farmland to be damaged.
“The dredging that did take place in the decades previous to the 2000 EU Water Framework Directive allowed land to be developed. It also created work for contractors and a supply of sand and gravel for construction work.
” Due to frankly silly dictates such as this progress on the issue of flooded famland and domestic and agricultural properties will be seriously hindered until we leave the EU.”