Cork will be deluged 'again and again', OPW minister warns

Call on Save Cork City to drop a legal challenge to the flood relief scheme

Heavy flooding on Oliver Plunkett street, Cork city this morning. Picture: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

Cork city was “0.1 of a metre away” from a catastrophic event like 2014, and will be deluged “again and again and again” if the proposed Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme (LLFRS) doesn’t go ahead.

Those were the angry words of minister in charge of the Office of Public Works (OPW), Patrick O’Donovan, as he came to Cork to inspect the damage done by last night’s tidal event in the city centre.

Mr O’Donovan was speaking after inspecting businesses along Oliver Plunkett Street and surrounding areas, which were engulfed in feet of water and spent the morning cleaning out their premises, after the River Lee surged overnight and flooded around 8am.

“There are traders in the lower part of this city who are two days out from a five-week lockdown and facing five weeks of uncertainty, where their stock has been damaged before Christmas.

“We won’t be able to deliver a flood relief scheme within five weeks but what we would be able to deliver is a degree of certainty that we can move forward. I am appealing to people to think again, to pull back from what is currently going on,” he said.

Mr O’Donovan was referring to objectors to the LLFRS, including Save Cork City, who claim the proposed scheme is not necessary and would be ecologically and aesthetically damaging to the city.

The time is now for this city to move forward, says minister

Peter Mark hair salon swamped by the heavy flooding on Winthrop Street, Cork city. Picture:  Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

Mr O’Donovan called on Save Cork City to drop a legal challenge to the flood relief scheme.

“Everybody has a right to object and I am fully supportive of the processes in place legally. But the OPW, Cork City Council have taken on board an awful lot of the views that were expressed.

“We believe the scheme is a far better scheme now because of the way we have engaged with both the OPW and the council, individuals and others. But there is a time and a place for everything and the time is now for this city to move forward,” he said.

The scheme would be half-built already if not for objections, and the other half underway, he claimed.

“I will be here, maybe not in two weeks or five weeks or whatever, but I will be here again with the same story, facing the same traders, with the same outdoor staff members, talking about another flood that will happen.

“Even if we got a green light to go ahead today, we are still years away from its completion. Climate is changing faster than the process that we can deliver this scheme and I would appeal to them to consider withdrawing their objection and moving forward in partnership with the people of Cork to deliver a good scheme.

“We will not be in a position to protect this city. I will be back here again and again and again.

“I am appealing to those people to look at the faces of those traders on Oliver Plunkett Street, Marlboro Street, Morrison’s Island right down to Patrick Street and tell them it is okay to have this dragged out further, because it is not. There is a time and a place for everything.” 

“Will it happen again? Absolutely it will happen again. The only issue is how frequently we are going to have them, and how close will they come to the 2014 level and will they exceed the 2014 level.

“It is absolutely inevitable that this city is going to flood and flood and flood. Somebody has to call time on this.”