Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for giving me an opportunity to come to the House to discuss the position in respect of the recent flooding which occurred in Skibbereen in November 2009.

When Senator O'Donovan tabled the Adjournment matter that Tuesday, I was not aware I would be going to Skibbereen on the Friday. It had been my intention to visit the towns in west Cork but when I saw on Wednesday that Skibbereen was likely to be affected for either the third or fourth time, I decided to bring my visit forward to the Friday before the Houses resumed session to spend a day there and scrap any other plans I had.

I am very much aware of the hardship and loss suffered as a result of flooding and am pleased to have the opportunity to place on the record of the House my personal sympathy and concern and that of the Government for the victims of the flooding. As I stated, on Friday of last week I visited a number of areas in Cork, including Skibbereen, that were badly affected by the unprecedented flooding of recent weeks to appreciate the extent of the problem at first hand and to hear the views of people locally as well as to talk to engineers from both the Office of Public Works and the local authority.

I acknowledge the tremendous work delivered locally by the emergency services and other State agencies. I mention in particular the contribution of local authorities, the Army and the Civil Defence personnel who deployed 4,000 sandbags to protect the town from a threatened flood event last week. I also acknowledge the fantastic co-operation and help that was delivered within communities and from neighbours. It is my experience that public representatives, both national and local, served a very important function by helping to communicate with the different services and authorities.

The OPW is aware of the impact of flooding, and we are committed to doing all we can to alleviate it through the provision of defences to reduce existing flood risk and by taking steps to prevent the creation of future risk and as a precaution against the effects of climate change.

Skibbereen is situated on the banks of the River Ilen and its tributary, the Caol stream. Flood analyses to date have concluded that the primary cause of flooding in Skibbereen is the flood flow in the Ilen river. This flow cannot be accommodated in the river without it breaking its banks, extending up the Caol valley and, in the process, flooding part of the town. Until recently, the most severe flood event affecting Skibbereen occurred in August 1986, with other recorded events in 1969, 1974,1975 and 1982 being less severe. In November 2009, the Ilen broke its banks, causing severe flooding of residential and commercial properties at various locations in the town. Records indicate that the flood event of 19 November 2009 was greater in magnitude than the previously maximum recorded flood event in the last 40 years which occurred in August 1986.

Following the severe flooding in November 2009, Cork County Council commissioned a scoping report to identify the extent of this flood and to update previous flood relief proposals and associated costs in light of development in the area in recent years. This report is being finalised and will be forwarded on completion to the OPW for consideration for funding of mitigation works. Following consideration of this report, the OPW will meet Cork County Council with a view to deciding how best to address the flooding problem in Skibbereen.

The OPW is fully committed to working in partnership with Cork County Council, including providing expertise and guidance on flood solutions for the town. Our aim is always to ensure the preferred solution is one that will afford the required level of protection while also addressing any environmental issues and providing the best value for money. Pending a decision on the need for a full flood relief scheme, it is open to Cork County Council to apply for funding for minor mitigation flood relief measures under the OPW's minor flood relief programme which can be used to address immediate flood problems in the Skibbereen area.

I am conscious that in addition to the trauma caused by the flooding, people also suffered financial loss arising from the damage to their property. In recognition of the devastation suffered by people in many areas of the country due to the recent flooding, the Government has allocated an initial sum of €10 million to fund a humanitarian assistance scheme. The scheme is being administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The aim of the scheme is to provide financial support to people who have suffered flood damage to their homes. In doing so it will provide hardship alleviation as opposed to full compensation. The community welfare service has already provided emergency financial and other assistance to households affected by the flooding to cover items such as clothing, food, bedding, heating, hire of dehumidifiers and emergency accommodation needs. Qualified households can claim for essential household items such as carpets, flooring, furniture and white goods.

I assure the House that the OPW will continue to work in partnership with Cork County Council to try to alleviate the risk of future flooding in Skibbereen and the surrounding areas. I again express my sympathy to the victims of the flooding in Skibbereen and surrounding areas and assure them of the Government's support for the work that is already under way to provide reassurance to them in relation to risk in the future.