Anger in Cork as flood-struck town faces six-year wait for relief works to begin

By Peter McCarthy, Corkman

A scheme to prevent flooding in Bantry won’t start construction for another six years, the Dáil has heard. Heavy rain during Storm Amy two weeks ago caused rivers to overflow and flood a number of properties in the Bantry area.

Minister of State Noel Grealish, responding to a question from West Cork TD Michael Collins about flood relief schemes for Bantry, Ballylickey and Ballinascarthy, said that the €60 million Bantry flood relief scheme aims to protect up to 200 homes. The scheme consultants have identified an emerging preferred option and submission of the scheme to planning is currently estimated for Q3 2027.

“The deputy is correct in that it is estimated that construction will commence in 2031,” Minister Grealish said, adding that in the meantime Cork County Council is advancing the Mill culvert upgrade project in Bantry ahead of the main flood relief scheme as well as the installation of a screen in the Mill river as an interim measure.

A consultant's report with respect to a remedial works application to address flood risk to a number of properties in Ballylickey, which was submitted by Cork County Council to the minister of state's office, is being examined, he added.

Deputy Collins responded that “the can is being kicked down the road in relation to the Bantry flood scheme. This problem has been going on for 50 to 60 years. In the name of God, what are Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil doing in government, because they are not delivering for the people of Bantry? They cannot wait until 2031. The businesses cannot wait. The people living there cannot wait until 2031 for the scheme.”

“The bottom line with these schemes is that 2031 is not good enough. Ballylickey has been left with nothing happening and the same is true in Ballinascarthy, with the OPW passing the buck to the council,” the Independent Ireland leader said.

Deputy Collins blamed the flooding on rivers not being dredged. “For some insistent, goddamn reason, they will not clean out the rivers. It is common sense - clean out the rivers. Good God almighty, if you had a bath at home and you blocked the outlet, it would overfill and spill. The pearl mussel is always mentioned. I have nothing against the pearl mussel, of course, but the minister of state knows damn well that if the river floods, the pearl mussel will be pegged out into the field and die anyway,” he said.

Local politicians across county Cork have long argued that not dredging streams and rivers is contributing to flooding. The authorities say that dredging endangers the freshwater pearl mussel, which is a protected species.