Call for a national flood risk map

THE people of Cork city and environs who suffered severe financial loss due to the massive flooding last November continue to fight their case, and rightly so, in an effort to get to the source of the problem and have grievances addressed.

Despite the hardship inflicted, major capital is awaited from Government and the EU to carry out road and drainage works. God speed the funding before we are completely washed away.

Under the aegis of an interdepartmental committee, it is intended that the Office of Public Works (OPW) will begin a process of flood event mapping which will involve, as a first step, the gathering of information relating to recorded instances of flooding — historical flooding data. For this purpose, it is envisaged that the involvement of local authorities will be required. It is intended to circulate all of them and to request historical data about the extent and frequency of flooding in their areas with a view to compiling this information in a uniform way and publishing it. What I would like to see incorporated in this report is a flood risk mapping of the country. There is an urgent need for funding to prevent a recurrence of serious flooding and severe damage to homes and commercial properties from washed-out roads and lack of drainage.