Furious Cork TD says process for delivering flood relief schemes 'no longer adequate'
Spot flooding on Assumption Road, Blackpool. The Blackpool flood relief scheme could be delayed by another two years, it emerged on Thursday
The Government department which manages public spending has been urged to find ways to fast-track the delivery of large flood defence schemes amid claims that it has added to the cost of, and further delayed, an already stalled scheme in Cork City.
The Blackpool flood relief scheme could be delayed by another two years, it emerged on Thursday, because some environmental reports prepared for the original scheme, which was paused in January 2022 following a successful legal challenge, will have to be done again because they are now out of date.
The claim was made by Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central Colm Burke as the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday. Its minister must sign off on flood relief schemes being advanced under the arterial drainage act.
A furious Mr Burke, who has a constituency office in Blackpool, grilled the department on its handling of the scheme which was confirmed in March 2021 but then legally challenged on grounds relating to public consultation. It has been paused since January 2022.
Independent environmental consultants are being hired to examine the original environmental assessments undertaken by the OPW. That work must be completed before any new public consultation takes place.
But Mr Burke accused DPER of “sitting on files” since January 2022, and of adding to the delays and overall cost to the State.Â
He said flood relief schemes like this are now taking between 10 and 12 years to deliver and the current process “is no longer adequate”.
David Moloney, the secretary general of the DPER, accepted that such schemes have taken a very long time to deliver and said it is a very complicated issue, with schemes subject to very complex multi-layered considerations involving primary legislation, EU legislation, case law, and in some cases, judicial reviews.
But Mr Burke said the delivery timescale is just not acceptable in the context of climate change, and the delays are costing the State in terms of repairing flood damage and compensation pay-outs to flood victims.
Fianna Fáil TD for Cork East, James O’Connor, said his area, which includes Midleton, was “completely annihilated” in recent flooding events, with the cost of road repairs across the county arising out of Storm Babet estimated at €54m.
Meanwhile, Cork City Council has confirmed that work on its Morrison's Island public realm improvement and flood protection scheme, designed to minimise flood risk in the city centre and protect around 400 properties, should start next year.
The An Bord Pleanála approved scheme was the subject of judicial review proceedings and in 2021 the High Court upheld An Bord Pleanála's approval, and later refused a request for leave to appeal.
In 2022, leave to appeal was granted by the Supreme Court on foot of a direct application by the appellants but the case was later rejected, effectively upholding the approval for the works.
City councillors were told this week that tenders are now being sought from a shortlist of main contractors and specialist contractors. It is hoped that contractor appointments will be completed in the first quarter of 2024 and that works will start in the second quarter of the year, and take up to 20 months to complete.
“It is expected that the scheme, when completed, will be transformative in its impact—further supporting the ongoing private sector investment in the area as well as creating new opportunities for the public to enjoy this riverside location,” the city council’s head of infrastructure development, Gerry O'Beirne, said.
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