O’Reilly furious at attempt to ‘fix’ culverts on Clonakilty road

FIANNA Fáil’s local election candidate for the Clonakilty, Skibbereen Local Electoral Area Pádraig O’Reilly has called on both Uisce Éireann and Cork County Council to produce a detailed report and action plan in relation to the exposed, collapsed culverts on the An Tobairin Road in Clonakilty.

Mr O’Reilly said having recently spoken with residents in the area on the matter, many feel left down by the local authority and Uisce Éireann. He said that temporary covers were put in place over 12 years ago and that these covers are ‘not fit for purpose’, having shifted in recent years due to the volume of water flowing under them in times of heavy rain.

‘The Council’s answer to keep them in place is to place a road barrier filled with sand on top of the metal cover,’ he said.

Mr O’Reilly described it as ‘absolutely disgraceful’ that the residents of An Tobairin have been so badly treated by both organisations and said it is a huge health and safety issue, due to the depth of culverts that have collapsed and are being continually washed away, with heavy water flowing down the hill. 

He said that residents are anxious and angry that the much-needed repairs to these culverts have been put on the long finger. ‘It beggers belief that the town had major flood defence measures installed only a few short years ago by the Office of Public Works and to think that the much-needed repairs to the culverts were not thought about at the same time,’ he said.

‘I am meeting with residents in the area again soon and we will form an action plan to get the matter of these culverts back on the workbooks of Uisce Éireann and Cork County Council,’ he added.