Holly Cairns: Devastating flooding in West Cork is the 'final straw'

Holly Cairns TD pictured on Main Street, Bantry following severe flooding. Picture: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

Decades of inaction to address flooding concerns have left people in West Cork “devastated”, Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns has said.

Speaking to the media at Leinster House, Ms Cairns said the impact of the floods in her Cork South West constituency in recent weeks has been “the final straw for many”.

“We had three weeks of consistent flooding in towns throughout the constituency so it has been a difficult time for the people of West Cork,” she said.

“A lot of the problems were due to old infrastructure not being able to take the capacity of rainfall that fell. For a lot of businesses, they can’t get flood insurance as a result. 

"They have been shouting for years and nothing was done. And now they are paying the cost for that inaction,” Ms Cairns said.

“People are very devastated. As we saw Skibbereen, the issue was due to a temporary grate on top of a culvert which had not been cleared out in advance of a red warning,” she said.

“So rightly so, people are devastated.

They are coming out of lockdown and are trying to re-open. This is the final straw for many.

"We had a lot of ministerial visits and that is great and I welcome that. 

"They promised to carry out the works that should have been done a long time ago.”

“But in addition, people need targeted support because they can’t pay the cost of inaction over many years. 

"I requested that of Minister Michael McGrath on his last visit, he said he would bring it to the Cabinet and I am awaiting a response on that. 

"But I hope that for many homes and businesses in West Cork that they see some targeted support,” she said.

Her party co-leader Roisin Shortall said the Government’s handling of the Phil Hogan saga has been “baffling” and urged for an appointment to be made quickly.

“The delay is inexplicable. It is causing bafflement at EU level.

We have a problem and we should be responding as quickly as possible and building relations.

“But this kind of messing, and procrastination doesn’t do our national interest any good so the government should really get on with it and make a decision today,” she said.

Ms Shortall said it was the view of the Social Democrats that the post should be offered to Catherine Day, the former Irish Secretary-General to the Commission.