Watch: Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd in Derry [Video]

Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd has said there is no easy solution to deal with flooding on the scale seen in Derry and the North West over the last number of years.

Minister O’Dowd was speaking following visits to parts of Derry and Strabane badly affected by the weekend flooding. Mr O’Dowd met with residents and business owners in Drumahoe and Eglinton and Ballycoleman Estate.

At least 30 to 40 homes are known to have internally flooded at the weekend, with up to 300 homes in total being assessed to determine if they were impacted when 70mm of rain fell in just five hours on Saturday,23 July.

Asked if the water / flood infrastructure in Derry and the North West was fit for purpose in light of the weekend’s events and what improvements needed to be made and when, Minister O’Dowd said: “In many instances we are dealing with historical infrastructure …