Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this issue. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, to the House. I am raising the issue in response to the Minister of State's launch of the draft catchment flood risk assessment management study for the River Lee in Cork.

This is the third time I have raised this issue on the Adjournment since September. Cork city is vulnerable to floods, as are many areas in County Cork that have been established and recognised in the report. I commend the report, it is extensive and surveys the River Lee, its catchments and tributaries. It covers an area of 2,000 sq. km. including the harbour and all rivers that drain into it, identifying areas that are prone to flooding.

Looking back, there has been flooding almost every two years. The river flooded in 1986, in November 2000 and in November 2002. There was tidal flooding in October 2004, the river flooded again in December 2006 and again in November 2009, an event that caused extreme concern. The damage has been well highlighted, with the effect it had on major structures in Cork, with homes, the university, a hotel, the headquarters of Cork County Council extensively damaged.

This draft report recommends the implementation of protection schemes to ensure homes and businesses are protected. There should be flood forecasting systems combined with targeted flood awareness and education and optimisation of the Carrigadrohid and Inniscarra dams. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is seeking a review of the operation of the dams to see the impact their operation had on the flood of 19 November.

The construction of new flood defences and channel modification have been identified as measures to reduce the flood risk to critical infrastructure such as the Lee Road waterworks, the Jack Lynch tunnel and national routes. There must also be improvement of the network of rainfall and river gauges to enable effective flood forecasting. These mitigating measures will reduce the impact of floods.

The headline following the publication of the report was there is no funding available and funding in excess of €100 million would be needed to implement its recommendations. I look forward to the Minister of State's response in the hope that he will be able to set the record straight and identify which measures can be implemented following the report to ensure that flood mitigation measures are introduced.

This is a draft publication and is undergoing public consultation. If the Minister of State is about to say that no funding will be available, what is the point in responding to the report at all? During the past week, it has often been stated that in excess of €100 million will be required. The known damage to UCC alone last November cost €30 million. Add to that the cost of the damage to the county hall, the Kingsley Hotel, which is still closed, and houses and properties in the area. The total bill has not been yet been totted up, but we are being told that the Government cannot find €100 million over a period to ensure that such damage is not inflicted again.

I read the editorial in today's Irish Examiner. The Luas cost €3 billion. I am not criticising the Luas, as it was money well spent and has provided many advantages, but we are looking for €100 million to ensure that damage of the order experienced in Cork last November is not seen again. These are the types of measure we are trying to introduce. I hope the Minister of State will give us some hope and say that something will be done. What needs to be done has been identified. Indeed, Cork city, Carrigaline, Midleton, Macroom and Ballyvourney have been identified as high-risk areas. The Minister of State is well aware of this fact, so I look forward to his response.

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