Claim people of Clonakilty are ‘living in fear of floods’

The people of a West Cork town flooded three times in the last three months are to get a new alert system.

Assistant county manager James Fogarty confirmed yesterday that within the next month, Cork County Council will provide the people of Clonakilty with the free alert system via text, email, Facebook, and voice messaging to landlines.

He was speaking ahead of a public meeting which will be hosted in the town today by the OPW, as it prepares a comprehensive flood relief scheme for Clonakilty.

A number of councillors attending the council’s western committee meeting yesterday spoke of their concerns that flood prevention works were not proceeding as quickly as they should.

Cllr Donal O’Rourke (FF) read out a text message he received from the town’s mayor asking that flood relief works be carried out immediately in critical areas such as Casement St and Wolfe Tone St.

Mr O’Rourke also asked that a defensive wall be completed along the banks of the river at Kent St.

The council built a section of that wall after the most damaging flood of Jun 28, but it was stated it was not allowed to finish it until it had received permission from the OPW. “I find it incomprehensible that we can’t repair a wall without OPW permission. The public are living in fear,” Mr O’Rourke said.

Committee chairman Cllr John O’Sullivan (FG) said: “The OPW have put a stop on work until [a full] survey is complete. But they have a responsibility to put some things in place now. The local authority should be the organisation delivering responses to people on the ground.”

Mr Fogarty said some things were under the OPW remit and officials in that body and the council were taking the prevention of further floods in the town extremely seriously.

He said the latest flooding, which took place last week, was due to drains blocking near the convent.

Town and county councillors are to meet OPW officials to discuss the issue at 2pm today. Members of the public will be invited to speak to the OPW from 3pm-8pm.

Mr Fogarty said he would “be asking tough questions” about why the council cannot continue repairing the riverside wall at Kent St.

“I know it’s a terrible thing to be living in fear [of flooding], there’s nobody in council not aware of that. I know people are frustrated by delays, but we can’t jump into this without looking at overall picture properly,” Mr Fogarty said.

He the entire flood prevention scheme will be expensive and time consuming, and he said he would also be asking the town and county engineers if demountable barriers could be used if necessary until the project is completed.

Mr O’Rourke said it was imperative people got an exact timeframe for the works today.