Fisheries body blocks dredging scheme in Cork

Inland Fisheries Ireland has told Cork County Council it will not allow emergency dredging to be carried out in towns where flood relief schemes have been planned by the OPW.

Councillors have reacted angrily to the decision, which will affect Bandon, Skibbereen, Clonakilty, and Glanmire.

Council chief executive Tim Lucey said the local authority would seek further clarification on IFI’s views, as councillors demanded legal advice be sought from senior counsel.

The disclosure was contained in a 24-page report which Mr Lucey delivered to councillors yesterday at a meeting in County Hall, which focused on the estimated €20m-plus damage caused in the county by recent storms.

Mr Lucey said the IFI had, however, indicated it was willing to allow emergency works such as dredging in areas where no OPW flooding plans were yet in place.

Cllr Kevin Murphy, Fine Gael leader on the council, described IFI as “the biggest impediment to ensuring the people of Bandon are safe”.

He said the OPW had previously challenged council plans to dredge the river in Bandon and it was “time for them to back off”.

Cllr Declan Hurley, of the independents, said the Government needed to introduce emergency legislation to allow local authorities overrule IFI edicts.

“Our rivers and waterways have become so neglected they don’t have the capacity any more. We can’t wait while homes and businesses continue to be damaged,” Mr Hurley said.

Independent councillor Alan Coleman said if the Government was willing to spend tens of millions of euro on flood defences in towns, then it surely viewed them as being in the emergency category.

“We shouldn’t just accept IFI’s view. We should be employing a senior counsel and find out how far we can go. We’ve gone far beyond the day where we can just sit back and accept that.”

Melissa Mullane of Sinn Féin said her party’s MEP, Liadh Ní Riada, had discovered there were no EU directives in place to ban dredging of rivers “and such works should be permissible to protect property and life”.

Fianna Fáil’s Andrias Moynihan said the River Lee had been cleaned up in Ballingeary and Inchigeela and while this would not stop flooding, it had certainly made a huge difference during recent storms.

Independent councillor Michael Collins said “there were too many rules and procedures” and both he and Fianna Fáil’s Margaret Murphy-O’Mahony demanded the river be dredged in Bandon.

Independent Marcia D’Alton said dredging might help at pinch points on rivers, but it could lead to more flooding downstream.

Meanwhile, Mr Lucey said the council had employed ARUP Consulting Engineers to advise on the possible causes of flooding in Midleton “and recommend any immediate corrective actions”.

He said the council was also looking to appoint consultants for a similar study in Bandon.