Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House; it is great to have him here. This issue of how we are going to cope with the devastation of the flooding is very important for west Cork and its residents and for Cork County Council. On 19 and 20 August 2020, there was a very severe storm with exceptional winds and rain, and within seven days, on 25 August, there was another period of 12 hours of torrential rain, which caused exceptional damage, particularly to the roads of west Cork. We have all seen the flooding in places like Rosscarbery, Bantry, Skibbereen and Bandon, where there were frightening scenes that really affected businesses and households throughout the entire province itself.

The issues pertain to the towns such as Bandon, Bantry, Skibbereen, Dunmanway, Rosscarbery, Clonakilty, Leap and Ballydehob, which all suffered serious damage. However the secondary roads were destroyed, and that has been the core issue. The road network in county Cork is an amazing 12,000 km in length; it is the longest road network in Ireland. The amount of damage done to that network, and mainly to secondary roads, is estimated at €4.6 million. Cork County Council is going through a budget process at the moment, which is very hard on the local authority. It is using reserves to keep the council afloat, and it has seen major budget cuts in areas such as road maintenance, village renewal, beach cleaning and toilet cleaning. This deficit in the budget of almost €4.6 million is having a major impact on how it can provide services going forward.

I seek clarity from the Minister of State on what can be done in respect of the damage done to the majority of the secondary roads in west Cork. The issue is that only €1 million has been spent to date, as another €3.4 million is to be spent as soon as the council receives the funding to fix the road network itself. Without that, the secondary roads in west Cork in particular will be in a very poor state. I refer here to places such as Bantry, Schull and Skibbereen. These are very important parishes and parts of the county because an infrastructure is required for the tourism on which we all depend and which is not there at the moment. If we do not have the infrastructure, we will not have the throughput of tourists on which this part of the world really depends.

Therefore, I seek clarity and a pathway to ensure that Cork gets this funding because with it, the network can be rebuilt, that is, the roads that are badly required in west Cork and building can take place going forward, once the Covid-19 crisis is over.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator for raising this issue. It concerns a part of the country that I am familiar with, having holidayed there again this year. My family and I love that part of Ireland and once the restrictions were lifted, we were lucky enough to get to that beautiful part of county Cork. I want to offer our sympathies to all of the families and businesses that were affected by the flooding in county Cork. It is something that I experienced in Kilkenny, when it used to flood before the flood scheme was implemented there. Certainly, I know from standing in homes and business when the floodwater is there, that it is a really devastating, disheartening, difficult and challenging time for people when there is persistent flooding, as seems to be happening in this case.

My Department undertakes the lead Department role, as set out in the strategic emergency management, SEM, framework of 2017, in relation to co-ordination of national level response to flooding emergencies, where warranted. This includes preparation of review reports into the response to flooding emergencies where national level co-ordination is activated, including the Review Report on Severe Weather Events 2017-2018, which is available to access on my Department's website.It is available to access on the website of my Department. The report was considered by the Government task force for emergency management and published by my Department in December 2019. The Department has implemented the recommendations relating to the local government sector. Inter-agency recommendations are progressed via the Government task force.

It should be noted that local authorities are designated as lead agencies for co-ordinating the local response to flooding emergencies, as per the Government decision in 2006 relating to the framework for emergency management. My Department seeks to support local authorities by requesting additional funding for exceptional costs incurred in the immediate response to severe weather events such as those experienced in County Cork in recent months. Such eligible costs relate to the response, clean-up and necessary immediate works associated with the event only, including the hire of plant and contractors necessary for immediate works, the purchase of materials required for response and clean-up and any staff overtime payments relating to an immediate clean-up. Capital costs associated with infrastructural damage, flood defence works or cost planned works are not eligible.

It should be noted that the OPW has responsibility for leading and co-ordinating the implementation of a national flood risk policy approved in 2004. This policy involves the development of a planned programme of prioritised feasible works, with a greater emphasis on non-structural measures. We cannot discount the fact that the impact of climate change is now manifesting in these extreme weather events, such as extreme flooding, and rainfall patterns. The overarching objective of the Government is to try to tackle that and it should be recognised. The OPW is delivering a multi-annual programme of capital investment in flood relief measures, including major and minor works schemes now planned for future measures in areas of significant flood risk. I take on board the specific point raised by the Senator regarding the immediate challenge around the road infrastructure and secondary roads in the region. I will take the case back to the Department.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I do not mean any disrespect, but I am very disappointed with the response of the Minister of State. The damage to the secondary road network is absolutely amazing. Many news outlets have published photographs of the damage. I have walked around various parts of the area and met many of the residents. Roads have literally been washed away. Work and repairs have been carried out. I am fearful that if a programme is not put in place to ensure we can rebuild these secondary roads, west Cork will not have the infrastructure to cater for locals or tourists or agriculture or any other activity in the area. We need a fund to be put in place to ensure these roads in west Cork can be replaced. There are nearly 12,000 km of roads in County Cork. There is no way the local authority budget can cope with nearly €5 million of damage being caused in ten days. What we need is a fund, possibly over two or three years, to ensure the road network can be improved. As people in the area saw, these events are frightening. On the evening in question, there was approximately 4 inches of rainfall in Rosscarbery in a few hours. Roads were just taken away by the rain. Without the Government stepping in, we will not be in a position to ensure the road network can be replaced.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I take on board the concerns of the Deputy and will take the points he raised back to the Department and my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, who has responsibility for local government. It is important that the Government is securing a package for local government that specifically relates to Covid and the non-rates element. We are attempting to ensure that local government is secure and viable into the future. These are specific items relating to the roads programme and an additional emergency fund because of the persistent occurrence of these severe flooding events. I am more than happy to take the Senator's concerns back within the Department and to relay the points he has raised. These events will occur in the future. In that context, it is important that the Government is able to respond to the needs of communities and local authorities when road infrastructure, particularly that in rural areas, is severely damaged as a result of such events.