Anger as fisheries board refuses request to further dredge river

ANGER has been expressed after fisheries board officials refused Cork County Council’s request to carry out further dredging on the Bandon river as part of the local authority’s flood prevention plans.

Millions of euro of damage occurred in Bandon after a major flood on November 19 last.

The local authority is planning to carry out major flood prevention works in the town. It wanted to remove gravel which was washed into the river during the November deluge.

County engineer Noel O’Keeffe wrote to fisheries board officials seeking permission to remove silt from the river bed.

He confirmed yesterday that he had received a letter from fisheries board officials who had turned down his request.

“I was informed that until all our studies are complete on the whole flood plan that we won’t be allowed to touch the gravel.

“So I can do no more in terms of dredging the river until they have studied the plan, which will be drawn up by our consultants,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

It was hoped, he said, to appoint consultants by October but it could take a further year to complete the blueprint for flood prevention works.

Mr O’Keeffe said, in the meantime, the council faced prosecution if it tried to remove the gravel.

He plans to raise the issue with the Bandon Flood Prevention Steering Committee and the OPW next month.

Meanwhile, Cllr Alan Coleman (FF) said he was “outraged” that fisheries officials would adopt such an attitude.

He said he would be calling on Minister Conor Lenihan – who has responsibility for fisheries boards – to intervene.

“This is completely unreasonable. It looks like fish are now more important than people.

“They (the fisheries board) are taking no cognisance of the fact that people in Bandon are living in fear of further flooding and many businesses there have no insurance,” Mr Coleman said.

Removing gravel from the river bed, he said, would have helped alleviate any moderate flooding which might occur.

“It obviously wouldn’t help if we were to face another catastrophic flood like the one we got last November, but that’s why the Government has set aside €9.6 million to come up with a comprehensive plan to address such a situation,” he said.