Flood defences - Delays may cost lives

IT’S been almost a year since parts of Cork City were very badly damaged by a flood that hit the city after water levels rose to dangerous, almost un-containable levels in the Lee Valley reservoirs.

Despite this very little has been done to establish flood defences, put proper warning systems in place, or even repair some of the significant damage caused last November. As well as all of that a city council phone service established last week, as part of its tidal flood alert system, was not manned after 5pm. Neither can the council stockpile or distribute sandbags.

Even though we are broke we must prepare for inevitable floods, not to would be dangerous and irresponsible. As in so many other areas hard choices have to be made, but it seems wrong that Cork City is being left at the mercy of tide, wind and rain. There have been unacceptable delays in preparing these obvious enough measures.

The money will have to be spent on either repairs or defences and the more sensible choice is obvious.