'It’s not good enough': Councillors seek update on delayed flood relief plan for Cork town

Assessment on viability of flood prevention scheme for Carrigaline given green light by OPW in 2020, but nothing has happened since

Main Street and Strand Street in Carrigaline are getting flooded regularly, councillors told. File picture: Denis Scannell

The minister in charge of the OPW is to be asked by Cork County Council what is happened to a flood relief plan drawn up 14 years ago for Cork biggest town.

Meanwhile, OPW Minister Kieran O’Donnell is being reminded by about his still unfulfilled promise to visit a flood-stricken village which is waiting just as long for protection work.

In 2010, the OPW first mooted a flood prevention scheme for Carrigaline, but then suggested it might fall short of the threshold for cost-benefit and a more detailed assessment was required to establish its viability.

That was completed in 2020 when the OPW established a viable scheme would be possible. However, nothing has happened since.

Carrigaline is impacted by a combination of river and tidal flooding, which is exacerbated during periods of heavy rainfall.

There are 36 households and 53 businesses in the town deemed at risk of flooding. Some of them were hit again during last October’s Storm Babet.

Fianna Fáil councillor Seamus McGrath asked officials attending a meeting of the Carrigaline Municipal District Council what had happened to the project.

They said that last December, they had written to then OPW Minister Patrick O’Donovan requesting all necessary funding and technical resources be made available to deliver the scheme but had heard nothing since.

“It is simply not acceptable. It’s not good enough that businesses and homeowners regularly have to put up flood barriers when there’s a bad forecast. Main Street and Strand Street are getting flooded regularly. The situation is only going to get worse with global warming,” Mr McGrath said.

Officials said they would write to the current minister seeking an update.

Rathcormac flood relief

Meanwhile, the lack of OPW movement on the long-promised flood relief scheme for Rathcormac has angered councillors in North Cork.

Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn got unanimous support from colleagues attending the council’s Northern Division meeting when he proposed they write to the OPW demanding the scheme be fast-tracked.

“In excess of 20 houses and businesses have suffered repeated flooding there. Because of repeated flooding this scheme needs to be prioritised now. It is happening there far too often,” he said.

“It is almost 15 years since the project for Rathcormac was announced. The delay is putting a lot of stress on those who are at risk,” Mr O’Flynn added.

Independent councillor Peter O’Donoghue said he met Mr O’Donnell a few weeks ago when he visited Midleton, which bore the brunt of Storm Babet.

“He committed then to visit Rathcormac. We must write to him and remind him of that,” Mr O’Donoghue said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Neilus Cotter described the lack of movement from the OPW more than a year on from Storm Babet as “a serious issue”. 

“We need to put the pressure on the Government as a whole. This is going on far too long and it is totally unfair on the people of Rathcormac,” Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre O’Brien said.

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In the meantime, the county council has undertaken some interim measures to alleviate flood risks there.

However, Mallow-based Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Hayes said the only way to protect the village was a proper OPW scheme.

“We experienced many damaging floods in Mallow until the scheme was completed there. It's been a game-changer and the people of Rathcormac should get one,” he said.