Monday, November 23, 2009
THE Government has not yet decided if emergency funding will be provided in areas devastated by the worst flooding in living memory, estimated to exceed €100 million in insurance claims.
In Cork city there is mounting concern that water supplies to some 18,000 homes may not be restored for a week.
The authorities have warned of a public health crisis unless precautions are taken by the estimated 80,000 people – almost half the city’s population – still left without water after the city’s main water treatment plant at the Lee Road was swamped in Thursday’s massive floods.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Environment Minister John Gormley said it was too early to say if a national emergency fund will be created.
"The immediate priority is to deal with the situation as is. Whatever consequences arise from this will have to be assessed and looked at and see what can be done," Mr Cowen said.
The Taoiseach will travel to Cork, Tipperary, Galway and Clare today to see at first hand the devastation caused by the flooding.
Mr Gormley said it would not be possible to gauge the full scale of the damage in Cork, Galway and Clare until the middle of the week. "Things are very bad," he said.
"I think it’s fair to say what we are experiencing at the moment is unprecedented."
The Cabinet was briefed on the situation in Cork, Galway and other affected areas yesterday by the Emergency Co-ordination Committee as controversy continued to rage over the handling of the flood crisis in the Lee Valley.
Fine Gael demanded an independent inquiry into the cause of the flooding as Mr Gormley defended the ESB’s decision to release water from the Inniscarra Dam, eight miles upstream of the city.
"They (ESB) believed that if they had not acted… the consequences could have been even more grave and I think that’s what has to be borne in mind by everybody," said the minister.
Mr Gormley said €50m would be put into flood defences nationally next year, but Labour accused the Government of dragging its feet over the issue.
Meanwhile, large insurance firms have been dealing with as many as 1,000 claims a day since the flooding began and one industry source said the overall cost of the crisis is likely to surpass the €100m claims expense from the country’s last major floods in August 2008.
Due to the high costs involved, a number of firms are investigating whether the ESB should be held responsible for the major pay-out.
In Cork emergency water supplies, which were introduced at 10 locations across the city on Friday night, will be extended over the coming days.
The Army, Civil Defence and Red Cross will be available 24 hours a day for as long as it takes, to ensure the emergency supply is maintained.
Residents who still have water in their taps have been advised that it is safe to drink.
"They may experience difficulty with pressure and colouration but it is good quality water and fit for use. Anyone with any concerns should by all means boil their water," said the director of the city council’s environment directorate, Gerry O’Beirne.
Some 80,000 people are still relying on a relay of tankers and standing water hydrants for their drinking water.
Engineers worked throughout the weekend to pump flood water from the damaged Lee Road water plant.
Speaking at a special media conference, Cork City Manger Joe Gavin described the flooding situation as "absolutely unprecedented" but stressed that the full resources of the state are available to respond to the crisis.
Mr Gavin declined to comment on the ESB’s decision to release water from the Inniscarra Dam in the early hours of Friday morning.
"We want to concentrate all our energy and resources on dealing with the consequences of what happened. We will deal with other issues when this crisis is over," he said.
Eircom crews working nationwide have managed to restore telephone and broadband service to 20,000 customers affected by the floods. The areas worst hit were parts of west Cork, Galway and Clare, where emergency work is still continuing.
Hundreds of people evacuated from their homes in Ballinasloe, Co Galway and Ennis, Co Clare have not yet been allowed to return to their properties.
The Defence Forces have been deployed to some of the worst-hit areas to help local emergency services, and remain on high alert should conditions deteriorate.
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