Report on floods to be published next month
The new deadline came after an independent expert was contacted to draw up the final version of the inquiry’s findings, which are expected to be highly critical of a series of public bodies connected to the case.
A member of the cross-party Environment Committee was initially pencilled in to draw up a draft version of the group’s findings before they were agreed by all members.
However, in recent weeks, it was decided to appoint an expert engineer to author the report in order to add further knowledge to the findings and to ensure the independence of the document.
While this individual’s name has not been revealed, committee members have confirmed the final report will include specific recommendations and criticisms of groups involved in the crisis, and clearly state whether they are responsible for the devastation that occurred.
In late April, they agreed to set aside plans to only provide a point-by-point breakdown of events during the November floods.
The cross-party investigation has been taking place since early this year in an attempt to uncover the exact causes of the crisis.
To date, it has met with officials from ESB at the site of the Inniscarra/Carrigadrohid dam and at Leinster House; Cork city and county council representatives; and flood victim support groups.
The Environment Committee is also examining the level of the damage caused to the Shannon and Galway areas during the same period.
While the document will not be able to hold any group legally to account, it has long been awaited by victims of the flood crisis who are struggling with massive personal costs after their homes and belongings were destroyed.
The Cork Action Committee has previously stated it is considering taking a “class action” legal case on behalf of hundreds of affected families against any group that may be found responsible for the crisis.
Cork Chamber chief executive, Conor Healy, and a number of Environment Committee TDs have already called for a further independent inquiry with legal powers to be established.
Last month, it was revealed that just €313,000 of the €10 million in flood support funding set aside by the state to help victims has been provided to 483 Cork families who have applied for aid.
It equates to just €648 per applicant, with almost €8.7m of the total “emergency” financial support fund yet to be released to flood victims, more than six months after the crisis.
