Politicians call for answers to flooding issue

Politicians call for answers to flooding issue

22 October 2025

THE scale of last weekend’s flooding in Newcastle and previous incidents in the resort and other parts of the district is a concern for local politicians.

South Down MLAs Cathy Mason, Andy McMurray, Colin McGrath and Diane Forsythe are keen there isn’t any repeat and all necessary steps must be taken to ensure this happens.

Mrs Mason has called on all agencies and government departments to focus on the recovery of Newcastle after the recent flooding which she said “caused concern and panic” with many homes only millimetres away from being flooded, with the DfI making around 1,200 sandbags available to protect property.

“DfI Rivers and Roads officials were on the ground monitoring water levels at the Shimna River and clearing large stones and debris from the roads, elevating the huge water run off from the mountain, she said.

“I want to acknowledge the strength of the local community, particularly the Newcastle Regional Community Resilience Group which provided vital communication throughout the day and the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team who brought a hiker down to safety.”

Speaking at the Assembly, Mr McMurray thanked the agencies involved in the emergency response and local residents, whom he said are often the first line of defence.

“We seem to be speaking about this kind of issue all too often these days and infrastructure is failing to stand up to the severe weather events we are seeing,” continued.

“Ultimately, whatever way we cut the climate change debate, our oceans are getting warmer and that means that we will have more intense storm periods more and more often.”

Mr McMurray said the residents affected need to be listened to and engaged with in order to find out the cause of the recent flooding and how best to treat it. 

He added: “The Newcastle Flood Resilience Group has been very active for a number of years now and is  finding it more and more infuriating that actions on the ground aren’t necessarily marrying up with what’s discussed. They need to be listened to.”

Mr McGrath praised the tireless efforts of residents, emergency responders and local council staff following the severe flooding and called for a full investigation into how such damage was allowed to occur.

“The flooding we witnessed over the weekend was devastating for many local people and I pay tribute to residents who worked through the weekend to protect their homes and those of their neighbours,” he continued, thanking local council staff, emergency services and community volunteers for their efforts.

Mr McGrath added: “There are no longer ‘once in a hundred years’ floods. They are happening more often and with greater intensity and we cannot continue to treat them as isolated incidents. We need to understand why the volume and force of water coming down from Tullybrannigan was so great, whether the drainage and flood defences in place are fit for purpose and what more can be done to protect homes and businesses in future?’

Mr McGrath confirmed he has written to the DfI seeking an urgent investigation and report into the cause of the flooding and outline what measures will be taken to prevent a repeat.

Ms Forsythe, who tabled a question to DfI minister Liz Kimmins on Monday, described what unfolded in the Tullybrannigan area as “shocking and terrifying”.

She said there is a need for an urgent investigation and a permanent solution to flooding issues in the Newcastle area.

“People in South Down are still suffering from the infrastructure damage caused in storms in 2023 and 2024 and local people in this area deserve better. I call on the Infrastructure Minister to take urgent action,” she said.

“This is serious concern over how this happened in Newcastle and the amount of debris washed onto the road is quite frightening. We need an urgent investigation why this happened.”