NI assembly vows to tackle flooding

19/10/11

By Leo Stevens

Efforts to ease the problem of flooding in Northern Ireland are under way after much of the country was battered by torrential rain on Tuesday.

Agriculture minister Michelle O'Neill has launched an investigation to establish why areas in Antrim, Fermanagh and Tyrone became flooded.

Other parts of the country also experienced large quantities of rain, but it is thought that these counties were among the worst affected.

While efforts to reduce water levels were ongoing, the Sinn Fein minister revealed that there had not yet been an opportunity to discuss compensation for people whose homes have been damaged by flood water.

Meanwhile, police in Northern Ireland have warned motorists to be extremely careful in Fermanagh and Tyrone as surface water on roads and flood waters have made driving particularly dangerous in the area.

Much of the country was crippled by heavy rain on Tuesday morning, with fire crews called out to rescue stranded residents.