Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I enjoin the Deputy in expressing concern, support and solidarity with the households and businesses that have witnessed devastating flooding overnight. I enjoin him also in commending not only the local authorities but all the emergency services which have been working since yesterday evening on dealing with this emergency in many areas.

I wish to bring the House up to date on what is taking place. The national co-ordination group for emergency management is meeting at present to assess the situation nationally and to work out any supports that may be needed at local level. The group includes the OPW, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department of Defence, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the fire services and Met Éireann. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government will provide an update on the situation and the response following the conclusion of the meeting under way at the moment. A protocol is in place for when heavy rain is forecast. Met Éireann contacts each relevant local authority likely to be affected. They put in place their risk management processes, which are already worked out. All local authorities are asked to send flood situation reports, if any, to the national co-ordination group.

Following overnight flooding parts of Cork appear be the worst affected. Our first concern is for the safety and well-being of citizens, households, businesses and for all those directly affected. The Cork county and city crisis management teams convened this morning to co-ordinate the response to the flooding. Cork County Council activated its flood response plan at 4 a.m. due to the severe flooding affecting parts of the county. Approximately 50 millimetres of rain fell between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. and there have been reports of up to 70 millimetres of rain in some parts of the county. Saturated ground due to the wettest June on record has exacerbated the situation. The towns worst affected include areas of Douglas, Bandon, Mallow, Glanmire, Togher and Rathcormac and severe flooding has also affected Clonakilty. Road blockages have been reported on the N71 road at Clonakilty, rendering it impassible at some locations and access to and from Douglas is severely limited. Several roads in County Cork are also affected. Electricity supplies have already been restored by the ESB in 8,000 of the 10,000 homes affected during the night in areas of Clonakilty and parts of some Cork City suburbs.

Some €44.5 million has been allocated to flood risk management schemes nationally, including the Mallow south and Mallow west schemes, the Fermoy, Bandon and Skibbereen schemes and the Ballymakeera scheme.

Deputy Troy raised a specific point about co-ordination. There is an ongoing situation in respect of the Shannon Callows area. I am familiar with the problem and I will ensure that the national co-ordination group is mindful of it, although it is not among the areas most seriously affected in this bout of flooding. I realise there is ongoing flooding there and that it has affected lands for many years.

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