Flood schemes delay is playing with lives Cllr

BY JACKIE KEOGH

A LOCAL councillor has accused the Government of playing with lives and engaging in stroke politics by delaying the Skibbereen Flood Relief Scheme once again.

Fianna Fail Cllr Joe Carroll said this week: ‘The Government is playing with the lives of countless people in the town who are prone to flooding.’

‘Cllr Carroll said everyone was led to believe that the contractor had been selected and everything was ‘ready to go’. The minister was expected to sign off on the project, and the commencement date for the project was set for September.

‘Now, the people of Skibbereen must face into another winter with the possibility that their homes and businesses will be flooded,’ said Cllr Carroll.

He added that he believes the delay – due to an EU directive calling for the re-evaluation of the scheme’s environmental impact statement (EIS) – is ‘political.’

He told The Southern Star: ‘I may be getting cynical, but I believe the flood relief scheme won’t be announced until election time.’

The EIS is expected to significantly delay the €14m project. Cathal O’Donovan, secretary of the Skibbereen Floods Committee, expressed his frustration that instead of seeing the project commence this month, the people of Skibbereen are now facing another delay for yet another report.

‘We have had 22 reports and studies already,’ said Mr O’Donovan, who pointed out the EIS did not proceed in January as was promised by junior minister Simon Harris, TD.

Mr O’Donovan said: ‘At the meeting with the minister in January, we were told two things. One, that the procurement of a contractor would be carried out by June. And two, that the re-evaluation would be carried out in parallel.

‘We have now been told that this has not been carried out and we are calling on Minister Harris to complete the re-evaluation report pronto, and get this project over the line,’ he said.

‘We understand that there is a contractor waiting in the wings, but the project can not go ahead until the re-evaluation report has been submitted to and signed off by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. So now it is up to Minister Brendan Howlin to get the job done.

‘The Flood Relief Scheme got the full co-operation and support of the people of Skibbereen. We now want the minister to reciprocate this co-operation.

‘We have waited long enough. For decades Skibbereen has known the scourge of flooding and the double flood in 2009 was nothing short of disastrous.’

Mr O’Donovan explained that Skibbereen’s flooding problems are tidal and fluvial – which means involving run-off from the hills – and the proposed flood relief scheme would address these problems through the creation of embankments; the building of new retaining walls; and the building of pumping stations.

More than 60 submissions were made by the people of Skibbereen and district during the design stage. It is ironic, therefore, that it is these submissions that have led to the current impasse.

Mr O’Donovan explained that minor changes that were made to the design as a result of the 60 submissions are the subject of the re-evaluation report.

‘We accept that the report has to be carried out, but we are determined that this latest delay will be the last,’ he added.

BY JACKIE KEOGH

A LOCAL councillor has accused the Government of playing with lives and engaging in stroke politics by delaying the Skibbereen Flood Relief Scheme once again.

Fianna Fail Cllr Joe Carroll said this week: ‘The Government is playing with the lives of countless people in the town who are prone to flooding.’

‘Cllr Carroll said everyone was led to believe that the contractor had been selected and everything was ‘ready to go’. The minister was expected to sign off on the project, and the commencement date for the project was set for September.

‘Now, the people of Skibbereen must face into another winter with the possibility that their homes and businesses will be flooded,’ said Cllr Carroll.

He added that he believes the delay – due to an EU directive calling for the re-evaluation of the scheme’s environmental impact statement (EIS) – is ‘political.’

He told The Southern Star: ‘I may be getting cynical, but I believe the flood relief scheme won’t be announced until election time.’

The EIS is expected to significantly delay the €14m project. Cathal O’Donovan, secretary of the Skibbereen Floods Committee, expressed his frustration that instead of seeing the project commence this month, the people of Skibbereen are now facing another delay for yet another report.

‘We have had 22 reports and studies already,’ said Mr O’Donovan, who pointed out the EIS did not proceed in January as was promised by junior minister Simon Harris, TD.

Mr O’Donovan said: ‘At the meeting with the minister in January, we were told two things. One, that the procurement of a contractor would be carried out by June. And two, that the re-evaluation would be carried out in parallel.

‘We have now been told that this has not been carried out and we are calling on Minister Harris to complete the re-evaluation report pronto, and get this project over the line,’ he said.

‘We understand that there is a contractor waiting in the wings, but the project can not go ahead until the re-evaluation report has been submitted to and signed off by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. So now it is up to Minister Brendan Howlin to get the job done.

‘The Flood Relief Scheme got the full co-operation and support of the people of Skibbereen. We now want the minister to reciprocate this co-operation.

‘We have waited long enough. For decades Skibbereen has known the scourge of flooding and the double flood in 2009 was nothing short of disastrous.’

Mr O’Donovan explained that Skibbereen’s flooding problems are tidal and fluvial – which means involving run-off from the hills – and the proposed flood relief scheme would address these problems through the creation of embankments; the building of new retaining walls; and the building of pumping stations.

More than 60 submissions were made by the people of Skibbereen and district during the design stage. It is ironic, therefore, that it is these submissions that have led to the current impasse.

Mr O’Donovan explained that minor changes that were made to the design as a result of the 60 submissions are the subject of the re-evaluation report.

‘We accept that the report has to be carried out, but we are determined that this latest delay will be the last,’ he added.

BY JACKIE KEOGH

A LOCAL councillor has accused the Government of playing with lives and engaging in stroke politics by delaying the Skibbereen Flood Relief Scheme once again.

Fianna Fail Cllr Joe Carroll said this week: ‘The Government is playing with the lives of countless people in the town who are prone to flooding.’

‘Cllr Carroll said everyone was led to believe that the contractor had been selected and everything was ‘ready to go’. The minister was expected to sign off on the project, and the commencement date for the project was set for September.

‘Now, the people of Skibbereen must face into another winter with the possibility that their homes and businesses will be flooded,’ said Cllr Carroll.

He added that he believes the delay – due to an EU directive calling for the re-evaluation of the scheme’s environmental impact statement (EIS) – is ‘political.’

He told The Southern Star: ‘I may be getting cynical, but I believe the flood relief scheme won’t be announced until election time.’

The EIS is expected to significantly delay the €14m project. Cathal O’Donovan, secretary of the Skibbereen Floods Committee, expressed his frustration that instead of seeing the project commence this month, the people of Skibbereen are now facing another delay for yet another report.

‘We have had 22 reports and studies already,’ said Mr O’Donovan, who pointed out the EIS did not proceed in January as was promised by junior minister Simon Harris, TD.

Mr O’Donovan said: ‘At the meeting with the minister in January, we were told two things. One, that the procurement of a contractor would be carried out by June. And two, that the re-evaluation would be carried out in parallel.

‘We have now been told that this has not been carried out and we are calling on Minister Harris to complete the re-evaluation report pronto, and get this project over the line,’ he said.

‘We understand that there is a contractor waiting in the wings, but the project can not go ahead until the re-evaluation report has been submitted to and signed off by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. So now it is up to Minister Brendan Howlin to get the job done.

‘The Flood Relief Scheme got the full co-operation and support of the people of Skibbereen. We now want the minister to reciprocate this co-operation.

‘We have waited long enough. For decades Skibbereen has known the scourge of flooding and the double flood in 2009 was nothing short of disastrous.’

Mr O’Donovan explained that Skibbereen’s flooding problems are tidal and fluvial – which means involving run-off from the hills – and the proposed flood relief scheme would address these problems through the creation of embankments; the building of new retaining walls; and the building of pumping stations.

More than 60 submissions were made by the people of Skibbereen and district during the design stage. It is ironic, therefore, that it is these submissions that have led to the current impasse.

Mr O’Donovan explained that minor changes that were made to the design as a result of the 60 submissions are the subject of the re-evaluation report.

‘We accept that the report has to be carried out, but we are determined that this latest delay will be the last,’ he added.

BY JACKIE KEOGH

A LOCAL councillor has accused the Government of playing with lives and engaging in stroke politics by delaying the Skibbereen Flood Relief Scheme once again.

Fianna Fail Cllr Joe Carroll said this week: ‘The Government is playing with the lives of countless people in the town who are prone to flooding.’

‘Cllr Carroll said everyone was led to believe that the contractor had been selected and everything was ‘ready to go’. The minister was expected to sign off on the project, and the commencement date for the project was set for September.

‘Now, the people of Skibbereen must face into another winter with the possibility that their homes and businesses will be flooded,’ said Cllr Carroll.

He added that he believes the delay – due to an EU directive calling for the re-evaluation of the scheme’s environmental impact statement (EIS) – is ‘political.’

He told The Southern Star: ‘I may be getting cynical, but I believe the flood relief scheme won’t be announced until election time.’

The EIS is expected to significantly delay the €14m project. Cathal O’Donovan, secretary of the Skibbereen Floods Committee, expressed his frustration that instead of seeing the project commence this month, the people of Skibbereen are now facing another delay for yet another report.

‘We have had 22 reports and studies already,’ said Mr O’Donovan, who pointed out the EIS did not proceed in January as was promised by junior minister Simon Harris, TD.

Mr O’Donovan said: ‘At the meeting with the minister in January, we were told two things. One, that the procurement of a contractor would be carried out by June. And two, that the re-evaluation would be carried out in parallel.

‘We have now been told that this has not been carried out and we are calling on Minister Harris to complete the re-evaluation report pronto, and get this project over the line,’ he said.

‘We understand that there is a contractor waiting in the wings, but the project can not go ahead until the re-evaluation report has been submitted to and signed off by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. So now it is up to Minister Brendan Howlin to get the job done.

‘The Flood Relief Scheme got the full co-operation and support of the people of Skibbereen. We now want the minister to reciprocate this co-operation.

‘We have waited long enough. For decades Skibbereen has known the scourge of flooding and the double flood in 2009 was nothing short of disastrous.’

Mr O’Donovan explained that Skibbereen’s flooding problems are tidal and fluvial – which means involving run-off from the hills – and the proposed flood relief scheme would address these problems through the creation of embankments; the building of new retaining walls; and the building of pumping stations.

More than 60 submissions were made by the people of Skibbereen and district during the design stage. It is ironic, therefore, that it is these submissions that have led to the current impasse.

Mr O’Donovan explained that minor changes that were made to the design as a result of the 60 submissions are the subject of the re-evaluation report.

‘We accept that the report has to be carried out, but we are determined that this latest delay will be the last,’ he added.