So far 37 Laxey residents have applied for government’s £500 emergency assistance following the devastating flood at the start of the month.

But as of the end of last week, only 15 had received the payout, Chief Minister Howard Quayle revealed.

The funding has already been criticised as not being enough. On October 1, the Laxey River burst its banks, causing devastation in Glen Road and forcing many residents out of their homes.

In the House of Keys this week Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Castletown and Malew) asked how many had applied for the £500 emergency assistance on offer.

Mr Quayle said that, as of Monday, 37 applications had been received.

’Treasury officers are currently working to validate claims made and I am assured they are aware of the need to work quickly in this regard,’ he said.

’Fifteen payments were made on Friday, October 18, and further inquiries are being made on the remaining applicants before payment is made.’

The floods hit Laxey on October 1 and an independent review is set to examine the causes, including whether works being carried out in the river may have contributed.

Daphne Caine (Garff) asked Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot why work to assist salmon spawning took place in September, rather than earlier in the year.

Mr Boot said the work on the weir next to the Laxey Woollen Mills was conducted by contractors on behalf of the MUA.

Repairs were needed, along with the reconstruction of the collapsing weir face.

MUA commissioned a ’specialist company’ to design the repairs and ensure they would accommodate migrating fish. Originally the work was planned for July 15-August 23, in keeping with a policy of carrying out river work between July-September, ahead of spawning periods.

’Unfortunately a delay led to the contractor not starting works until mid-August,’ said the minister. ’Following further delays, including poor weather and problems with the contractor’s equipment, the department agreed to a short extension to allow the work to be completed and were informed by Manx Utilities that the in-channel works were expected to be completed by October 4.’

Mrs Caine said salmon had been migrating successfully up the river for centuries. ’Why was it so critical that this work was undertaken and if it was so critical, how is it left now?’

The minister said DEFA’s involvement was to ensure the work would not affect fish migration.

’People’s homes and possible lives are more important than fish but in this particular instance, the weir work was required because of scouring caused by earlier flood damage and that is why it was commissioned,’ he said.

Gullies

Mrs Caine also asked Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer how frequently drains and gullies were cleared on the Laxey to Ramsey coast road, particularly when routine road maintenance had been undertaken.

Mr Harmer said gullies were scheduled to be cleared yearly, ’in line with good practice guidance’. The most recent occasion in the areas of the road that Mrs Caine specified was March 2019.

Martyn Perkins (Garff) suggested it would be ’prudent’ to clear drains after hedges had been clipped.

Mr Harmer said that sweepers operated on roads ’bi-monthly’ to help keep drains clear from detritus.