Dáil committee chair insists his hands are tied

BLAME culture is rife in Ireland, from public liability lawsuits to workplace disagreements.

The only problem is the further up the social ladder it goes, the less likely it is that people will either accept or assign blame – even when such a move is necessary and unavoidable.

For two months, the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment has overseen a detailed fact-finding mission to uncover the exact reasons for the devastation caused by last November’s floods.

It has grilled ESB officials over the Inniscarra dam controversy.

It has met with Cork city and county council representatives, and taken advice from Met Éireann.

It has even heard from victims of the floods, many of whom are either still homeless or living in uninsured fire hazards which used to be their homes.

However, despite the detailed information to hand, the cross-party group is unlikely to assign blame to any of the organisations at the centre of the crisis, which cost Cork city an estimated €100 million in damages.

While the investigation’s conclusions will not be finalised until late April or early May, speaking before a meeting on what structure the draft findings will take, the group’s chair Seán Fleming said it was unlikely any group would be specifically blamed for their part in the scandal.

According to the Fianna Fáil TD, the committee’s hands are tied when it comes to deciding who is responsible for the damage caused because of the terms of reference framing the investigation.

The cross-party group’s final report, he said, is likely to make specific recommendations regarding the adequacy of communication between ESB and Cork city council.

He added it will almost certainly comment on the high water level at Inniscarra, which was at 99% capacity even before the heavy rainfall on November 19, on transparency issues involving ESB’s inability to release all information, and on potential changes to prevent a repeat of events.

However, Mr Fleming, and other members of the committee, have confirmed that despite the implications of these comments, no individual group is likely to be specifically blamed for what happened in the Oireachtas report.

Such a move, he said, is likely to have to be made either through a further more specific independent inquiry or “in the courts.”

The translation is clear.

Two months of questions, clear answers from some groups and delayed or non-existent answers from others, yet no firm conclusions.

No clear confirmation on what exactly happened is likely. No blame.

It is not as if the Oireachtas committee does not have enough information on which to make specific judgments.

It knows, for example, there are questions about whether the ESB provided full transparency on the issues on November 19 and 20, or explained why some residents living near Inniscarra dam were told to “evacuate” by an ESB official as early as 4.15pm on November 19.

ESB’s decision not to inform Cork City Council of plans to release 546 cubic metres of water from the dam every second between 9.50pm and 3.50am also raises questions which have not been addressed.

When ESB officials were brought to the Oireachtas, they claimed Cork City Council was at fault for many of these communication issues and for not adequately explaining how far the floods could reach.

However, these comments, along with further claims the deluge of rain itself cause the floods, have been strongly denied by the council.

The Oireachtas committee, which will today outline plans for its final report, knows which individuals or groups played a role in the flooding crisis.

It is aware that some information has been readily made available and that other details have failed to be explained.

But despite this situation, questions look set to go unanswered unless an independent public inquiry or a series of court cases are taken.

Blame culture is rife in Ireland. All flood victims want is for such blame to be fairly, and swiftly, assigned.