The stark warning issued about Ireland’s future weather conditions

Sinkholes and the like will become a regular occurrence unless something changes.

Severe weather conditions caused problems in Donegal and Derry last week and Agriculture Minister, Michael Creed feels it's an issue that needs to be dealt with and fast. Sinkholes appeared in Donegal and two-thirds of the average rain for the county for August fell in just nine hours. While in Derry, cars were being washed away from a park and ride car park due to the conditions. The Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, has said that the effects of climate change could mean that more extreme weather events as seen in Donegal and Derry could become a regular thing. There were reportedly as many as 500 homes damaged by the floods in the north-west and Defence Forces are currently carrying out a clean-up operation. According to Newstalk, the Minister for Agriculture hopes that the Government can meet their global targets in order to help tackle the effects of climate change in Ireland.

"I think with climate change we're going to see more extreme weather events of this kind. "It is questionable what any State, and what this Government, can do - but the most important thing is that the Government responds appropriately. "It's also important that in the bigger picture context that we play our part in terms of the appropriate policies to deal with climate change. "We need to invest in flood relief measures - but bear in mind, and anybody who has put a foot in the Inishowen Penninsula in recent days will tell you, that people up there say this is not an area that has previously been subject to flood risk."