'We are resilient': Midleton businesses meet to discuss response to flooding crisis

Flooding in Midleton last week. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Representatives of up to 100 businesses and organisations met in Midleton on Wednesday to discuss a group response to the crisis facing the town following last week’s flooding.

An unprecedented 100mm of rain fell in 36 hours during Storm Babet last Wednesday, damaging 250 properties.

The town's main street was submerged in 3ft of water in just eight minutes, with drains overwhelmed as they were unable to discharge into the rivers that run through the town.

It is understood flood-hit businesses are in line to receive up to €100,000 in payments as part of new relief proposals that were brought before Cabinet on Monday.

Late on Tuesday, Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys announced an additional €3m in funding for the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme and an increase to the income limits in order to assist some 223 households in Cork and Waterford.

On Wednesday, Midleton GP Dr Mike Thompson said there was “a lot of energy in the room” as businesses, trades, and professional services attended the meeting at which there was “standing room only”.

There were also a lot of emotions in the room, he added.

“The emotions ranged from anger, frustration, resilience, pragmatism and a great sense of altruism as well. There was a wealth of experience in the room. There's this logic, this passion, and we essentially distilled an agenda," Dr Thompson told RTÉ's Morning Ireland on Wednesday.

"Obviously, this is just a one-off meeting and we have kind of short-term, medium and long-term goals. And so short term is that the time is now cleaning up and we have 60 days to Christmas. Midleton is open for business. We are resilient. We would like people to come and support our town. It is a lovely town.

“We also are very appreciative of all those who helped our community, the sense of community and bonhomie from the sporting clubs, from the volunteer groups, from all the agencies which are still in evidence this morning.

Emergency personnel working in the floods in Main street Midleton. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

“And there is also an acknowledgement that the central funding yesterday was very gratefully received, we hope that progress will be efficient and quick now. There were also some novel ideas about rates moratoriums, tax reductions, revenue deferment payments. 

"But ideally what we are looking for is we have six years before we realistically will have a flood defence plan in place. We are looking that if this happens again, the Government would underwrite any further occurrence until that time.” 

Dr Thompson said his general practice was operating at about 25% capacity at present, with the priority being acute cases. It will be two weeks before it is back to 100% capacity.

While he welcomed the reported revised upper limit of €100,000 in assistance, his costs were likely to be much more.

Dr Thompson was hopeful he and other businesses in Midleton would start drawing down sums in the next few weeks, but the worry was that they paid the same insurance as every other trader in the country, but they still did not have flood cover.

Dr Mike Thompson at Imokilly medical centre in Midleton. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

“We are just unlucky that we do not have a flood defence scheme, so we just are not covered for flood and this is not our first flood. In 2015, there was a less devastating flood. And promises were made on that occasion that this would not happen again," he said.

Dr Thompson warned the town would not survive if there was another flood like last week.

“We need a new flood defence plan," he said.

Businesses were looking at reinvesting, taking out loans, dipping into their life savings, going to banks, using whatever grants they could get so they could reopen.

“I could be talking to you again, unfortunately, next week, next month and next year with the same story. And that for most people is a chilling effect," he added.