No cash available for flood relief in heritage town

BOTH residents and businesses reacted with dismay yesterday to an announcement that there was no money available for flood relief in a popular tourist and heritage town in Co Kerry.

Businesses in Kenmare’s town square subjected damaged costing tens of thousands of euro after an unexpected flood three years ago. The October 2008 deluge was described locally as the worst in living memory.

Upwards of 15 homes, mainly in Scarteen Park, had also been flooded.

Since then, Kerry County Council has been lobbied to carry out remedial work, but at a meeting this week it emerged only €25,000 had been allocated for the maintenance of the Kerry coastline this year, with no specific funding for Kenmare.

John O’Sullivan, who runs a drapery in the Square, said he was disappointed with the council for not meeting its responsibility in relation to managing the town and flooding.

“I’m being told by other business people that the square is now flagged as a flood-risk area which means an increase in insurance premiums,” said Mr O’Sullivan, who is active in the local chamber of commerce.

“The council has a duty to protect the core area of the town. These days, people are conscious of every cost, and increased insurance premiums could decide whether they stay in business or not.”

Kenmare-based Fine Gael Cllr Patrick Connor-Scarteen, who has called for substantial funding for flood prevention in both Kenmare and Sneem, said the causes of the problem had been identified and reports prepared. “But we’ve had no action since then.”

According to Ger O’Brien, the council’s head of corporate services, the council has only €25,000 for the protection of coastal regions in 2012.

The 2008 flooding in Kenmare is believed to have been caused by several factors. These included heavy rainfall in the mountains around Moll’s Gap and an unusually high tide in the Kenmare Bay which caused the River Finnihy to burst its banks.