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.

Responding to the crisis, Mr Parlon said humanitarian aid would be considered and might be made available under the regular categories of homelessness, damage to houses, serious injuries or loss of income.

“When the information is to hand, an assessment can be made,” he said.

Following flooding in Dublin two years ago, over €5m was spent in the area between the Glasnevin Bridge and Luke Kelly Bridge in Ballybough. In the city area around Drumcondra, €1.7m was spent and in the Tolka River catchment area, another €3.5m was spent.

OPW flood relief plans were at various stages in Clonmel, Carlow, Wexford, Ennis, Fermoy and Mallow, but Cork and Waterford are not on the list, Mr Parlon said.

Stating that funds had been sought in Cork for the past 20 years and that part of the quay wall had a sign on it warning of collapse for the past eight years, Ms Lynch contrasted it with the action taken in Dublin.

“The response there to that particular flood bares no relation to the response in Cork,” she said.

Describing the Governments flood relief plans as disjointed, Mr Allen said it was unacceptable that there were no plans to even fix the quay walls and that the OPW didn’t seem to know what was required.

FF Cork East TD Ned O’Keeffe said €40m was earmarked by the Government four years ago for work to be carried out in Mallow and Fermoy in Co Cork. However, the work is well behind schedule.

“I feel hugely embarrassed because there was a commitment given for Mallow and Fermoy. I was told the money was available by the ministers of the day,” he said.