Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I thank the Minister of State for being here with us today to discuss a very important matter for the constituency of Cork South West, namely, the many areas of flooding and, in particular, the Bantry, Ballylickey and Ballinascarthy flood relief schemes. This morning, I was talking to somebody from Bantry. They said that in 1983, 42 years ago, they had to sit in a shop with their legs up in the air to avoid the floodwater that was coming into the shop. It is 42 years later and there have been no changes. There is something wrong somewhere along the line. The Government has been place for God knows how long and it has failed to deliver a proper flood relief scheme for Bantry. That is all the people of Bantry want.

I am worn to my teeth from going around with Ministers every time there is a flood, spreading sympathies to business people when their businesses have been destroyed. Some have gone out of business and walked away because they could not get insurance. The "cross cover", or whatever it is called, is not covering businesses. Why has the flood relief scheme not been delivered? There is now a recent announcement saying it will be delivered in 2031. In the name of God, what are Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil doing in government, because they are not delivering for the people of Bantry? They cannot wait until 2031. The businesses cannot wait. The people living there cannot wait until 2031 for the scheme. It has been going on for 40 years and maybe longer because that person is only 50 so they were only a child 42 years ago. We cannot guarantee that if there is a flood tomorrow, it will not happen again.

Not far from Bantry, there is St. Colum's football pitch in Kealkill and the Ballylickey river. In 2017, the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, visited with me and it was embarrassing. I will never do it again. I will never again take a Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW into a house. I took him into the house of Dan Dineen and many more along the Ballylickey river. In 2017, I told the Minister of State what the problem was, as did the people, which was that the river was blocked. Fast-forward to 2025, the river is still blocked. My brother, Councillor Danny Collins, was drawing bags of sand two weeks ago to houses to stop the water going into the houses. Why? For some insistent, God damn reason, they will not clean out the rivers. It is common sense; clean out the rivers. Good God almighty, if you had a bath at home and you blocked the outlet, it would overfill and spill.

The pearl mussel is always mentioned. I have nothing against the pearl mussel, of course, but the Minister of State knows damn well that if the river floods, the pearl mussel will be pegged out into the field and die anyway. There has to be some way forward. Inland Fisheries Ireland is away with the fairies because it has no notion of cleaning out a river. It is quite happy rolling along and implementing its rules and regulations. When we fast-forward to February 2025, the people of Ballinascarthy, another side of west Cork, were absolutely destroyed by a flood. Everyone in the country was screaming and roaring on their behalf but not one thing has happened since. A bit of a bridge that was struck by a vehicle three or four years ago was put back up but other than that, the river is blocked and there are other works to be done. We are now in October and they do not know whether they are going ahead or not. Their hearts are in their mouths with the news of every flood that is coming. It is the same with St Colum's pitch in Kealkill and the Ballylickey river. It is backing itself up, it is blocked and it is flooding the pitch. It certainly must have contributed to the massive flood recently at Coomhola bridge. It burst out over the bridge and into a house.

Places like Madore, Reenrour and Inchera suffer from rivers that are not being cleaned out. Can the Minister of State tell me today that there will be a programme in these areas for the rivers to be cleaned out? That is all I ask.

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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Gabhaim buíochas to Deputy Collins for raising this important issue. I know it is very important to the Deputy and his constituents. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran.

To date, 56 flood relief schemes have been completed, which are providing protection to over 13,850 properties and an economic benefit to the State in damages and losses avoided estimated to be in the region of €2 billion. Through the national catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme, the largest study of flood risk was completed by the Office of Public Works in 2018. This studied the flood risk from rivers and the sea for two thirds of the population. The Government’s flood risk management plans, an output of CFRAM, provided the evidence for a proactive approach to designing and constructing flood relief schemes for the most at-risk communities.

Since 2018, the Government has trebled the number of flood relief schemes at design and construction to some 100 schemes. It is not possible to progress all 150 flood relief schemes identified by the flood risk management plans simultaneously, due to the limited availability of the professional and specialised engineering and other skills that are required to design and construct flood relief schemes. Under the national delivery model, Cork County Council is leading the delivery of six flood relief schemes in the first tranche, including Bantry flood relief scheme, with nine schemes planned in the second tranche. The OPW is funding nine staff in Cork County Council to support the delivery of its programme of schemes.

The €60 million Bantry flood relief scheme is to protect up to 200 homes. The scheme consultants have identified an emerging preferred option, which is expected to be presented to the public before the end of this year. Submission of the scheme to planning is currently estimated for quarter 3 of 2027. The Deputy is correct in that it is estimated that construction will commence in 2031.

Cork County Council are advancing the Mill culvert upgrade project in Bantry ahead of the main flood relief scheme and Part 8 planning consent has been granted. Cork County Council has identified a consultant for the detailed design, contractor procurement and construction management of this project. The OPW recently approved funding to meet the costs associated with this stage of the project. Cork County Council is working with stakeholders including the OPW and Uisce Éireann on the overall funding proposal for the Mill culvert upgrade project. To mitigate damage from recurring flood events in Bantry, the OPW, since 2021, has approved some €335,000 to Cork County Council under the OPW minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme, to strengthen its emergency response for the installation of non-return valves, purchase of pumps, large sandbags and Individual property protection for affected properties in Bantry.

Cork County Council is also progressing the installation of a screen in the Mill river as an interim measure and is engaging with the landowner concerned. Ballinascarthy flood risk was not included in the CFRAM programme. Cork County Council has confirmed that three properties did flood in Ballinascarthy earlier this year when the Owenreagh river broke its banks, and the council has reviewed this flooding issue. I understand there is a drainage district, which is a scheme constructed before the passing of the Arterial Drainage Act 1945, located in the vicinity of Ballinascarthy village and that Cork County Council is responsible for its ongoing maintenance.

Localised flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each local authority to investigate and address, and local authorities may carry out flood mitigation works using their own resources. Cork County Council can apply to the OPW for funding for flood mitigation works under the OPW's minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding to local authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas.

A consultant's report with respect to a remedial works application to address flood risk to a number of properties in Ballylickey, which was submitted by Cork County Council to the Minister of State's office, is being examined. It will complete its examination of the report shortly and will then be writing to Cork County Council on the matter.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I thank the Minister of State for the reply but the problem here is that the can is being kicked down the road in relation to the Bantry flood scheme. It looks to me as if the Minister of State in charge of the OPW, whoever it may be, will be heading down to Bantry for the next six or seven years. I will be giving the same spin below, telling businesses that I am very sorry but we will have to wait for the next flood when the television cameras will be down and we will follow the Minister of State and reporters around. The bottom line is that 2031 is too far out. This problem has been going on for 50 to 60 years. How in the name of God can the Department turn around and say that it has done 56 of them? Skibbereen was one and it was a success. I am not going to say anything different but what Bantry needs is a similar scheme. Skibbereen is a success but there are 150 more schemes to do. Bantry is not going to be done until 2031 but 50 years ago businesses there were being flooded. That is not good enough. I plead with the Minister of State to go back and fight to see if we can bring delivery forward to 2026 or 2027 instead of all of this carry-on, where we have to go here and there and talk to this and that body. We need to go in and do the job.

The response in relation to the situation in Ballylickey all the way up to Coomhola, including St. Colum's pitch, is that the Department is examining a report. In 2017, the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, went with me along the river. We looked at the houses and we saw the water up to the walls of the houses, including that of Dan Dineen and many others. Good God almighty, the Department is only looking at a report now and considering it. That is not good enough. How can I go back to the people with that? The same is true for Ballinascarthy. When there is a flood, they are terrified. I think of the local people in the hall and the mighty people doing their best for them, including Councillor Daniel Sexton, who tried to help them, to see if they could block the water from coming in. The rivers are blocked but the Minister of State never mentioned that in his reply. Is there anything being done on his side of the border in relation to the rivers? There were fewer rules about it when I got into politics years ago. Bandon was being flooded because the river was blocked. I told the council I would put in a machine myself and would pay for it myself. The next day, a machine was put in and the river was cleaned out. A scheme was done there.

The bottom line with these schemes is that 2031 is not good enough. Ballylickey has been left with nothing happening and the same is true in Ballinascarthy, with the OPW passing the buck to the council.

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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I assure the Deputy and the House that the Minister of State and the Government are committed to proactively addressing, along with Cork County Council, the flood risk to homes, businesses and communities in County Cork. These measures are being funded through the Government's €1.3 billion allocation for flood relief measures under the national development plan. The Minister of State will continue to work with Cork County Council on the delivery of flood relief schemes and interim measures for the most at-risk communities. I encourage Cork County Council to consider using the demand-led OPW minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme to address and manage localised flood risk. The Minister of State's recent announcement is making it easier for local authorities to address flood risk in local areas.

I agree with Deputy Collins on many of the issues he raised. In 2009, there was a major flood in the west and 14 houses in my area were flooded. It took nearly five years for reports to be done by the OPW. I have to say that when it finally did the work, it did excellent work. When it does the work, it does it right. The OPW has done a job for life in my area. I know it is frustrating for business and homeowners, particularly when their businesses and homes are flooded again and again, but unfortunately, it takes a long time for reports to be completed and to ensure that the job is done right. I recognise the passion that the Deputy speaks with because I experienced it at first hand myself recently in Clarinbridge, when a number of businesses were flooded during a storm. The flood waters actually lifted a 10-tonne container, such was the strength of the waves that came in off the sea. Water does a lot of damage to houses and businesses.

I will raise these issues with the Minister of State. I spoke to him earlier this morning. Unfortunately, he could not be here because he had a prior engagement with the Tánaiste. I assure the Deputy that I will speak to the Minister of State again. I thank Deputy Collins for raising this important issue and acknowledge the passion he put into it.