No plans to alleviate flooding threat

THE Government has no plans in place to alleviate the consistent threat of flooding in Cork and Waterford, it emerged last night.

As businesses and homeowners began the massive clean-up after heavy rains and strong winds caused millions of euro worth of damage, OPW Minister Tom Parlon said neither city was part of the Office of Public Works flood relief programme. In an emergency debate in Dáil Éireann yesterday, demands for compensation for householders and businesses, and flood prevention action in Cork were made by Labour’s Kathleen Lynch and Fine Gael’s Bernard Allen.

Business leaders in Cork have also written to the Government seeking emergency relief funding after an estimated €10 million damage was caused by the city’s worst flood in over 40 years.