€40m package needed to repair flood-damaged West Cork roads 

Staff Raymond Warner and Michael Corcoran pictured during the clean up of Drinagh Co-Op star in Bantry following severe flooding.Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

A €40m package is needed to do up roads badly damaged during recent flooding in West Cork, local councillors have claimed.

They are also demanding a special mobile team be established to ensure drains, dykes, culverts and small streams in the region are kept debris-free.

Council officials, meanwhile, have said that consultants, who will shortly be appointed to design the Bantry flood relief scheme, will be told to look at “quick fix” solutions ahead of the installation of flood defences so as to mitigate against further damage in advance of them being built. It will take four years before construction will start on them.

A special meeting of the council's West Cork Municipal District Council was held in Bantry to discuss the fallout from the flooding.

A total of 53 houses and businesses were flooded late last Monday night. In recent days, Dunmanway, Rosscarbery and Skibbereen have also suffered from deluges.

While some of the damage in Bantry was attributed to a high tides, particularly in the Square, the rest of the damage to Main Street, New Street and Barrack Street was as a result of the River Alley bursting its banks.

Attention also turned to the damage flooding has done to infrastructure in the region.

Bar owner Terrance Gibbs of the Cosey Corner, Bantry pictured in his ruined by severe flooding.Picture: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

Fianna Fáil councillor Joe Carroll said the road network in the region had suffered substantially. He said recent flooding and years of underfunding meant the government should provide between €30m and €40m to fix the damage and bring roads up to a proper standard.

Both he and Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Murphy said many people who were uninsured in Skibbereen had suffered from flooding and more financial aid needed to be given to them.

Fine Gael councillor Karen Coakley said people in the town were “devastated” and are now worried every time it rains.

Municipal district council chairman, Independent councillor Danny Collins, said he knew of businesspeople in Bantry who were being forced by their insurance companies to pay the first €10,000 of any flood damage and insisted the government needed to do something about that.

The Minister for Public Expenditure, Michael McGrath TD, visited Bantry to see the flood damage caused by Storm Francis on Monday last. Mr McGrath views the damage to the Cosy Cabin pub, which was under 5ft of water in Monday night's flood. Looking on is Christopher O'Sullivan TD. Picture: Andy Gibson

Independent councillor Declan Hurley said that regardless of major flood defences, the council had to go back to basics and ensure culverts and drains aren't blocked. He said the lack of outdoor workers was hampering the council in doing this and that needed to be addressed.

Mr Carroll, meanwhile, called for a special mobile unit of such workers to be assembled to go to potential trouble spots when heavy rain is forecast.

Independent councillor Pat Hayes pointed out there had been frustration in Skibbereen because, during the red alert, the fire brigade was allowed out, but council workers weren't.

“The roads department was not able to respond with sandbags for hours later because they couldn't send out staff,” Mr Hayes said.

Padraig Barrett, the council's director of roads, said drains that were adequate in the past may not be adequate in the future because of climate change.

Mr Barrett admitted the council was already under pressure to fix roads in the region and flood damage had made the situation worse.