Fianna Fáil hits out over flood relief vow failures

Fianna Fáil have condemned the Government for failing to deliver on flood relief promises announced in the wake of Storm Desmond.

The party have hit out at the under-spend in flood defence schemes as part of capital expenditure plans.

Fianna Fáil are to debate the various flood relief measures promised by Government and the issue of insurance cover for those living in flood prone areas in the Dáil today.

They claim the Government has not fully implemented the flood alleviation announcements that were made in January of this year after storms ravaged much of the country and left many homes and businesses destroyed.

The party are now calling on Government to ensure that households and businesses are given adequate flood insurance.

While demountable or movable flood defences have been put in place to provide protection in many areas, insurers still refuse to cover many households.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has been in ongoing consultation with Insurance Ireland in a bid to get cover provided to homes and companies especially in areas where Government has invested in the standard one-in-a-century flood defences.

Fianna Fáil is also calling for a single River Shannon agency established on a statutory basis.

Some 500 homes and 400 businesses were flooded during the winter months of late 2015 and early 2016, with an estimated €100m in damages.

It comes as OPW minister Sean Canney yesterday launched the largest flood relief scheme ever to be undertaken in Ireland.

The Lower Lee (Cork City) Flood Relief Scheme is expected to cost €140m to complete.

This overall programme will involve total investment of the order of €300m when account is taken of major schemes already completed in Mallow and Fermoy, works currently under construction in Bandon and Skibbereen and planned works in Blackpool, Clonakilty, Glanmire, Douglas/Togher, Ballymackeera and Midleton.

Launching the public exhibition stage of the scheme Mr Canney said there are currently 12 major schemes at construction stage in different parts of the country and a further 23 at design development and planning stage.

He added that Government has allocated €430m for flood risk management in its Capital Investment Plan for the period 2016 to 2021.