Work to start on Glanmire flood relief before June, says minister 

The €14m Glashaboy River flood relief scheme has been in the pipeline since 2012 and has hit numerous delays but 'money is not an issue', Dáil told

Works on the Glashaboy River in Glanmire are set to take 24 months to complete. Picture: Larry Cummins

Work is to begin on the Glanmire flood relief scheme before June this year and will take 24 months to complete, the minister for the Office of Public Works has said.

The Glashaboy river flood relief scheme, estimated to cost some €14m, which has been in the pipeline since 2012 after flood water rose to 4ft in some homes and businesses, has hit numerous delays.

Tender documents for a contractor are now expected to be issued by Cork City Council by the end of this month and "money is not an issue", Minister for the OPW Patrick O’Donovan said.

“The Office of Public Works [OPW] in partnership with Cork City Council is engaging proactively to progress the flood relief scheme for Glanmire,” Mr O’Donovan told the Dáil.

“Following the appointment of a civil works contractor, works are scheduled to commence in quarter two of this year. 

"The key project partners are working to minimise the overall delay in the completion of these works, recognising the significance of the issue for the people in the Glanmire area and the associated housing developments and businesses.

We are committed to it. The money is in place. It will take approximately 24 months to build it.

“It is one of the priorities for the Office of Public Works because we recognise the risk. It is also a key priority for Cork City Council," he said.

“I know the sufferings of the people in that area."

Patrick O'Donovan, Minister of State for the OPW, said the Glanmire flood relief scheme is a 'key priority for Cork City Council'. Picture: Denis Minihane

Tender documents for a contractor had originally been issued in September 2021 with a return date of January 24, 2022. 

However, an “unprecedented inflationary environment” resulted in a preferred contractor pulling out of the job last year. Soaring inflation throughout the procurement process also added to the price originally tendered for.

Cork City Council was therefore unable to appoint a contractor last year.

“I do not think anybody could really have anticipated the inflationary environment in which the Office of Public Works and Cork City Council found ourselves," Mr O'Donovan said.

“While it was a huge disappointment that the contractor withdrew from the contract, was it a surprise given that construction inflation was probably running of the order of 20% or 30% or whatever percentage it was at the time?

“It has eased considerably and at least we are now in some sort of stabilised environment.” 

Mr O'Donovan said that the scheme is designed to defend some 103 properties; a mix of homes and businesses. 

“This is not an insignificant scheme. It will take up to 24 months to finish the construction." 

Cork Fine Gael TD Colm Burke had raised the issue in the Dáil. He said that he remained concerned that tender documentation was still not finalised.

Fine Gael TD Colm Burke said when flooding  occurred in 2012, 'houses had up to 4ft of water in them' and 'people have been really living in fear in that area since then'. Picture: Des Barry

“When this flooding occurred, which is now more than 10 years ago, houses had up to 4ft of water in them. People have been really living in fear in that area since then," Mr Burke said.

I am a bit concerned that we still do not have the tender documentation finalised.

The question is about the time period for submissions to be made once that becomes available and then the important issue of the contractor being contacted and awarded the contract. There was too much of a time delay the last time around.

"I believe we need to make sure we have timelines clearly set out in order that we can get on with it."