A SINKHOLE THAT was discovered in Sandymount, Co Dublin, had been forming “over a prolonged period of time”, according to a report by a Dublin City Council engineer.

The hole under the carriageway, which was discovered last Wednesday, covers an area of approximately 5×5 metres squared and is around 1.2 metres deep.

Over Thursday and Friday arrangements to reconstruct the void, which had left water and energy systems exposed, were put in place. They are due to be completed this Friday.

The report said that to reconstruct the carriageway they must excavate around existing services to a depth of more than 2.7 metres in order to ensure the integrity of newly constructed road.

Local councillor James Geoghegan said: “It is clearly concerning that they believe the void which caused the sinkhole ‘was formed over a prolonged period of time’ and that the ‘sandy soils have slowly washed into the drainage network’.

“It certainly begs the question as to where else in the village similar types of structural damage is taking place unbeknownst to us all, and where other sinkholes could emerge, in what the report describes as conditions typical to ‘the Sandymount area’.”

The Pembroke area councillors will hold a meeting about the matter tomorrow morning.