ESB agrees to meet Cork flood victims

THE ESB has agreed to meet Cork residents who bore the brunt of last November’s massive flood.

The meeting with the residents of the Mardyke will take place in University College Cork on Thursday, an hour before a public meeting takes place.

That meeting, which was cancelled earlier this week because of the Arctic weather, will be the first time the city’s flood victims have come together to dissect the events of November 20.

It is hoped the meeting will generate ideas and suggestions to ensure the city is ready for the next flood.

Confirmation that the ESB will meet the residents for the first time came yesterday.

But the company said it will not engage in a debate during the public meeting because it is already taking part in the review of the floods disaster ordered by Environment Minister John Gormley, and which is due to be completed by March.

Company representatives will meet the residents at 7pm on Thursday, January 21, and the public meeting will take place at 8pm, in Room G1 of the Kane (Science) Building in UCC.

It is being organised by community activist Barry Keane. He has invited Robert Devoy, professor of physical geography at University College Cork and head of the school of the human environment, toattend.

Prof Devoy said: “It is essential that there is public debate about this – not just a finger-pointing exercise – but a real debate about how we plan for the future.”