AN announcement that 40 pumps and barriers are to be made available to five flood affected areas has come in for criticism.

BY JACKIE KEOGH AND CHRIS BENN

Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran TD, said earlier this week that the pumps and barriers would be given to local authorities in Mallow, Sligo, Galway city, Cavan and Portlaoise. And that this would “make this new emergency response equipment available to all parts of the country”.

But Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire) said while Bantry is well-provided with pumps, gauges, warning systems and sandbags, as well as firefighters and local authority staff, after decades of intense floods it needs the proposed €40m flood relief scheme to be advanced at a much quicker pace.

“A lot of flood relief schemes throughout the country are falling behind,” he said.

“In Bantry, the OPW says it will be 2032 before work starts, but if they say ‘32, that could mean ‘36, which is a decade down the road. Homeowners and business owners are on high alert.”

With new businesses opening in the town centre, Cllr Collins said he contacted them, advising them to be on high alert. “In the past, the warnings didn’t match the level of rainfall and people were caught on the hop,” he said.

“Now, people put up their flood barriers as a precautionary measure, but it means people are in a constant state of worry when the weather turns bad.”

Cllr Collins insisted that the OPW needs to do more to expedite major flood relief projects because progress is at “a snail’s pace”.

So far, he said Bantry has had two public consultations about the preferred flood relief option for the town, and that plan is about to go for planning. But he asked the question: “What will happen if there are objections? What will that do to the timelines?”

A meeting of the Western Division of Cork County Council on Monday heard that the Bantry Flood Relief Scheme would enter into the planning stage in the coming months.

The project is said to be in the closing phases of stage one. This initial stage involved a detailed study of flooding mechanisms in Bantry, extensive data collection, site investigation, hydraulic and hydrological assessment, and public consultation in order to identify a preferred option.

The county engineer revealed that interim works have been carried out, including the completion of the enhanced coastal defences.

Cllr Collins welcomed the update, but added that further works were needed before the winter months.

The county engineer also announced the installation of a roughing screen on the Alley River to prevent blockages further downstream.

The council is finalising locations for further screens on the Mill Rivers, depending on agreements with landowners.

Meanwhile, the local authority has applied for funding for the next stage of the Individual Property Protection scheme in the town which will serve a further 19 properties.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.