David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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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.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Having visited Midleton following the flooding from Storm Babet, I have seen at first hand the devastating impact flooding has for home owners, businesses and the wider community.

The catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme provided the Government with the evidence to launch a national and proactive programme of 120 additional and new flood relief schemes in 2018. While Midleton was part of this programme, major flooding in December 2015 and again in January 2016 were the catalysts to commence work for the design of a flood relief scheme for Midleton ahead of the conclusion of the CFRAM programme. Cork County Council is leading the design of the scheme and in 2017 appointed engineering and environmental consultants. Designing any flood relief scheme is complex and requires data on the flood sources and their associated risks. Today, some 100 schemes are at design and construction stages.

Midleton has proven to be a more complex scheme. It has flood risks from four sources, namely, fluvial, tidal, groundwater and pluvial. In 2017, data did not exist on all sources and monitoring was required to allow the flooding mechanism to be fully understood. The data gathering and changing regulatory requirements, including environmental assessments, increased the scale and scope of the design project. Throughout this time, three public participation days were held, in 2017, 2020 and 2022. As well as engaging with the local community on the scheme’s progress, these served to gather useful information and assess their views on the emerging option and, more recently, the preferred option for the Midleton flood relief scheme. The outcome also increased the scope of the analysis and assessments required.

The preferred scheme has now been identified, with a total project budget of €50 million, three times that estimated in 2017. This highlights the scale of the project's increase in scope. It also highlights that we have designed a scheme that is robust and supported by strong evidence. It has the support of the community and is future proofed and adaptable to climate change scenarios. The preferred option protects 580 properties against the one in 100 year flood fluvial event, can give back flood insurance to the town and stands up to scrutiny and-or challenge.

Having invested eight years in arriving at a preferred scheme, an assessment following Storm Babet is under way, in order that we know we have a scheme that can meet the standard of protection required by the insurance industry. The next major step is to seek planning consent. Work has already begun on the environmental surveys to allow us to start the planning consent process early this year.

After Storm Babet, the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donovan, and his officials met with the chief executive and senior officials from Cork County Council and the scheme’s consultants to discuss how the Midleton scheme can be delivered as quickly as possible. While the planning stage for this project is due to commence shortly, Cork County Council is assessing Storm Babet to identify the possibility of advancing any viable interim and targeted works for the town. Identification and ongoing roll-out of interim measures has also been progressed, including the removal of trees in channel at Moore’s Bridge and installation of a water level gauge at Tir Cluain bridge, with additional gauges to be installed at Lidl bridge and the pedestrian bridge in People’s Park in January 2024.

East Cork bore some of the worst impacts from this flooding. In Midleton, the Owenacurra river rose at an unprecedented rate and broke its banks at two locations, causing significant flood damage to the town, with more than 100 properties flooded. At its peak, the main street in Midleton saw floodwaters in excess of 1 m depth, requiring the evacuation of dwellings and commercial properties. People displaced by the floodwaters were given shelter.

The OPW and local authorities do not have the powers to expedite the schemes arising from the damage caused by flooding events. The delivery of all schemes must meet all regulatory and planning requirements. Consideration is being given to the preferred planning route that can deliver this scheme as quickly as possible.

In terms of the wider flood risk management scheme, there is a prioritised approach to deliver schemes where work is complete or under way. Under the OPW minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme, applications by local authorities for localised flood mitigation measures are considered for projects that are estimated at a variety of costs, as was outlined to the Deputy previously by the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State. As he said, this all started in December 2015, eight years ago. That is a long time ago. Is he satisfied the OPW and the council have enough resources to carry on with the work and the planning and move it on? Do they need more manpower, expertise, engineers or planners to move this forward? He referred to insurance on several occasions. Several of the businesses in question were underinsured, unfortunately. I thank the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Red Cross for the work they did with businesses. Some businesses never expected the level of devastation that occurred. No one could have expected it. It was unprecedented. I have been in the shops, houses and businesses affected. It is devastating to see what happened. Some people were insured to a certain level but it went way beyond that. Can the State come in and help those businesses to make up the difference? Thus far, the scheme does not allow for that.

In addition, outdoor infrastructure was damaged in some cases. That is not covered either. The Minister of State referred to this being a one in 100 year event.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The fluvial event was a one in 100 year event.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I would be very interested to know where that figure came from. Who came up with it? We have had flooding in 2015, 2018 and 2023. I am worried there might be another flood. I do not want to be wandering around the town in my wellingtons, helping people and pulling sandbags. I am getting too old for that. To be serious, this is devastating for the people affected.

The Minister of State referred to insurance. I wish to put on record that some insurance companies have been slow to come forward. I will shortly name those insurance companies in the House if they do not come forward. It is not fair that people whose homes are insured are still waiting for relief, help, support and payments from insurance companies. The companies should be moving to help but some of them are not doing so.

Reference was made to Moore's Bridge. It is a private bridge. We want funding for it.

The same applies to Water Rock bridge, which needs doing, and major work is needed in Mogeely and Castlemartyr.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Cork County Council is working closely with the community during the remaining delivery of this important scheme. In the briefing provided by the OPW and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, they speak about different types of flood event. I think they reference one particular event having that time period. I take the Deputy's point on the greater frequency that is being seen there. I am not sure what the specific definition of those flood events was. I understand the importance of bringing security and certainty for the wider community who live in fear of the next storm and the next event. There is an obligation on the State and the wider structures of the State to respond properly and with sincerity to make progress in the interests of the communities the Deputy represents and address the concerns he has articulated. I take that point very seriously.

Two meetings have been scheduled recently between the steering group for the scheme and locally elected representatives, businesses and residents. One took place in November of last year and the other is scheduled for this month. The Government is committed to the delivery of a flood relief scheme for Midleton and this will be funded from the €1.3 billion that is available for flood risk management measures under the national development plan. I will raise the wider concerns and points the Deputy has made and the need for absolute focus on delivery and progress on this matter for the people in Midleton.

Regarding the roads, which have been atrociously damaged, I know, there is extensive work ongoing between Cork County Council and the Department of Transport on putting the final estimate together. We will be responding properly so that there are full repairs and restoration of the road network, both local and regional, that was very badly affected during that period and will try to make significant progress on that this year. There is extensive engagement ongoing on that.