Clarity needed on who is responsible for providing €3m needed to repair historic Cork weir
A Dáil committee has heard that it is “proving to be very complex and unclear” as to who is responsible for providing the €3m required to repair a threatened historic weir in Cork.
The ongoing deterioration of the weir on the Blackwater River in Fermoy and subsequent dropping water levels has already been blamed for the cancellation of the annual regatta held by the town’s 135-year-old rowing club, as well as a triathlon club’s swimming race.
Niall Healy, Director of Services at Cork County Council told the Oireachtas Petitions Committee that last year the local authority made contact with five different government departments to seek financial assistance to fix the weir.
“There was limited progress made but what did become evident from the feedback received was that the responsibility for the provision of capital funding was proving to be very complex and unclear,” he said.
Kevin Morey, Cork County Council Engineer, said last year’s drought afforded an opportunity to examine the weir in detail.
“This is a very old structure, which is effectively at an end of life stage, and the level of work that's involved now in remediating it is estimated at €1.34 million,” he said.
It's a major infrastructure project, and in normal circumstances, the local authority looks to government for funding for that kind of a project.
"Not only that, but the habitats directive is a changed circumstance, and that changed circumstance imposes and other obligation, which is a huge one, it's not a minor mitigation input, it's a further €1.7 million on top of the weir.
"So we're faced with a question of scale here, which is way beyond our resources,” he said.
Denis Maher, of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment’s Inland Fisheries Division said it has no remit in the carrying out or funding of the required repair works.
He said its role would be to ensure that any repairs to the weir ensure the continuing passage of fish down river, to ensure Ireland complies with the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive.
John Sydenham, Commissioner at the Office of Public Works, said the OPW does not have any responsibility for the weir, and that this lies with the county council.
He also denied any allegation that the weir was damaged during flood relief works in Fermoy carried out by the OPW.
“It is the OPW’s position that the deterioration of the weir in recent years is due to other factors such as large trees and other debris being washed downstream over many years,” he said.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner after the meeting, committee chair Sean Sherlock, a TD for the Cork East constituency in which Fermoy is situated, said it was useful to have all of the government departments and agencies before the committee.
“The clear message coming from these Departments is that no separate Department has the funding to do the necessary works,” he said.
Cork County Council also doesn't have the money to do the works. I think it's fair to conclude that they all want to see the works but no one department wants to pay for it.
"This requires a political response. Essentially that means that the Minister for Finance will have to find some funding to carry out the repairs to the weir and fish pass and create the northern fish pass,” he said.
