Bandon flood scheme is defended after online criticisms

A WEST Cork councillor has taken to task a group from Cork city which, he said, is putting out negative comments about Bandon’s multi-million flood relief scheme which is almost complete.

Cllr Sean O’Donovan (FF) was speaking at a meeting of the Bandon Kinsale Municipal District last week where councillors were receiving an update of the scheme.

Cllr O’Donovan said that as a business owner – whose premises was flooded back in 2009 on Oliver Plunkett Street – the scheme is very welcome by both business owners and residents in the town who were affected by those devastating floods.

‘They’re happy with it and it’s very disappointing to see a group from Cork city coming in and abusing the scheme in Bandon and saying it destroyed the town and destroyed businesses,’ said Cllr O’Donovan.

‘I haven’t heard one negative bit of feedback from anyone living in Bandon. I think it’s very unfair for them to be using Bandon photos and commenting on the town and saying negative things.’

Cllr Kevin Murphy (FG) said that he wanted to compliment the contractors and the Council involved in the multi-million scheme.

‘It’s been partially tested with the recent weather we’ve had, and there’s no doubt Bandon will benefit from this and it has been a major, major scheme for the town,’ said Cllr Murphy.

‘Save Cork City’ – which is  opposed to the OPW’s proposed flood defence walls and demountable structures of the River Lee – posted on Facebook earlier this summer that Bandon is a town ‘destroyed physically and economically’ by the OPW and said that ‘tens of millions was spent damaging a beautiful town with the wrong solution offered to those in desperate need as the only thing to do.’

‘Sadly the town is now so degraded it’s hard to imagine that it can prosper as it is no longer an attractive place to be,’ the group posted.

The group also came in for criticism last week by frustrated business owners in Cork city following the flooding of over 100 commercial premises. The group has sought a judicial review into plans by the OPW to install particular flood defences in parts of the city.