Council rejects criticism

CORK County Council hit back strongly at criticism that claimed it had been negligent in progressing the Bandon Flood Scheme. ‘Cork County Council wishes to have it clarified that the statutory body for progression of flood defences in Ireland is the Office of Public Works and not Cork County Council. On the Bandon Scheme, it is the OPW which is the body responsible for design, tendering and contracting the Flood Relief Scheme,’ a statement said. Chief executive Tim Lucey added that Cork County Council had treated the progression of flood defences ‘as a priority across the county working in tandem with the lead agency nationally for development of flood defence works, the Office of Public Works, to advance Flood Relief schemes particularly for Schemes in Bandon and Skibbereen. This process now also includes the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and considerable work has gone into the schemes to bring them to their current status. In both cases, it is envisaged that, subject to statutory, tendering and contracting processes all moving ahead unhindered, that contractors could be on site in both locations by the middle of 2016.’