Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I take this opportunity to convey my support for those affected by flooding across the nation over the Christmas period and in the weeks following. I can only imagine the stress and displacement that has been caused, as well as the burden faced by people over the coming weeks and months as they attempt to get their family homes back in order. Many home owners and business owners in my constituency of Cork East have suffered devastating consequences from the latest episode of flooding. Homes have been destroyed in some parts which were never flooded before. In other cases, the properties affected have been flooded on numerous occasions.

Although the extent of the damage may in part be down to climate change, it is also due to a severe lack of foresight on the part of planners and builders. The N25 Cork to Waterford road was severely hit with flooding, causing it to be closed for more than a week. That is simply not good enough. Main roads in the State should not be flooding to such devastating affect, blocking national travel routes and causing major disruption. Minor roads were also drastically affected and will require further funding to be restored to normal service due to the damage caused by the overflow of traffic diverted from the main routes. We must take action to prevent this from happening in the future. Flooding hit areas such as Midleton, Castlemartyr, Water Rock, Mallow and Carrigtwohill in an indiscriminate manner, destroying homes, businesses and farmlands alike.

The impact on some households has been structural, with property damage costing up to €50,000, and more in some cases. That is a very significant amount of money for anyone who cannot get flood insurance. The same applies to business owners, primarily the small and medium-sized enterprises that the Government claims to want to protect. It is not possible to control the weather, but the Government can control whether an effective system is in place to help those most affected. This brings me to the fiasco that is the refusal by insurance companies to insure those who are at risk. I accept that the purpose of insurance companies is to insure against a risk rather than a certainty. However, if there were such a thing as no risk, there would be no need for insurance. Why, then, are insurance providers offering outrageous quotes or no quotes at all to home owners whose properties are not certain to flood?

A motion passed at the municipal district council requiring council officials to revisit plans for two major developments in east Cork, where large sections of the land earmarked for 5,000 houses, schools and retail centres were hit with serious flooding after Storm Frank, is particularly welcome with regard to the areas of Carrigtwohill and Water Rock. However, I would like to see engagement with those living in these communities, as they are the people who have the experience and knowledge, rather than outside parties coming in and deciding they know what is best. As well as the houses that were flooded, many more, although not actually flooded, were directly affected by it. Boil water notices as well as the backing up of sewage systems are some of the issues that have been reported to me.

Although the situation is by no means the simplest to deal with, there are basic measures that can be taken to relieve some of the issues outlined. The need to clear gutters and drains on a more regular basis is something that may seem obvious, but blockages have been an instigator of some the problems that have arisen. Proposals for dredging the rivers that have overflowed or cutting back trees and bushes that obstruct the flow of the river should be investigated. That will require a certain level of co-operation and funding.

I conclude by commending the staff of the various local authorities, the Army, the Garda Síochána, the fire brigade, the Civil Defence, ordinary members of local communities, volunteers and other organisations on their hard work in recent weeks. I thank Whitegate oil refinery in east Cork for providing pumps to remove significant amounts of flood water in order to clear the N25 Cork to Waterford main road. Finally, I commend the various hotels in the affected areas on their decisions to allow people to use their rooms in their hour of need.

See this speech in context