David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for choosing this Topical Issue this evening and I thank the Minister of State for being here. It is now over three months since Storm Babet, which devastated my part of the country, Cork, and Midleton in particular. The images from the town on the television screen were really frightening. There was water 3 ft or 4 ft high in houses, homes and businesses and cars and roads were destroyed. I acknowledge the Minister of State visited and saw for himself the damage that was done. For many years now, we have been promised a flood relief scheme not only for Midleton, but also for Castlemartyr and Mogeely, which is to the east of Midleton.

Those areas were also impacted. In fact, of the 32 houses in one estate in Mogeely, 30 were destroyed. Everything people had in those new houses was destroyed. There was millions of euro in damage. Not alone that, there was also the heartache, pressure and trouble experienced by those affected.

I know the Minister of State has a prepared script. What has been done since Storm Babet hit on 18 October? Tonight, Storm Jocelyn is battering the country. At the weekend, there was another storm. There are 21 storms in this season. We are now on storm No. 10. They are coming thick and fast, like rosary beads, one after another across the Atlantic. When Storm Isha was hitting us at the weekend I was worried there would be another flood in Midleton. Another downpour is all it will take. We need to expedite the flood defences. What has happened in the past three months in that regard? I have been raising this consistently with my colleagues since that time. I was told a few weeks ago that there is a plan to divert the River Kiltha in Castlemartyr, for instance. What is happening in that regard? There were possible interim plans. What is happening with that? What will happen in Mogeely? I know the major scheme in Midleton town is very complicated and there is a €50 million package available to spend. What is the status of that scheme? What is happening with the planning permission? I understand the plans are ready and a significant amount of work has been done. It now has to go to planning. What route will that take? Will it go the conventional route or the river catchment route?

These are questions people are asking. They are concerned about it. The constant topic of conversation around the town and in the area is what will happen and whether there will be another flood. An elderly man with a disability was taken out of his house in the shovel of a JCB. He told me that every time he hears the rain he is afraid of his life that it will happen again. He does not want to go back to the house.

The situation is beyond urgent at this stage. I know there are two rivers coming into Midleton town, the tide coming in, the caves and the run-off from the land. We were all aghast at the flooding. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and many Ministers, including the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, came down to east Cork in the few days after the flooding but my experience through the many years is that once something has been seen, dealt with and highlighted, it then fades away. I do not want this issue to fade away. I am afraid it will happen again.

We were very lucky that there were no fatalities the last time. Some people were washed down the street. One woman came out of a shop and her feet were taken out from under her, such was the pressure of the water, and she was washed down the street. Another man was in his garden. The wall at the back of the garden collapsed with the force of water. The same happened in one of the housing estates. Walls were blown away by the force of the water. It was unimaginable. At least two bridges I know of need to be replaced. The Minister of State has seen those bridges and some of the roads affected. I understand Cork County Council is in discussion with his Department, namely, the Department of Transport, for roads funding. When will that funding be released? When will we have certainty in that regard? If the Minister of State cannot answer that now, perhaps he will send me a note on it in the next day or two.

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