Calls for year-round drains work in Cork city while  Bantry businesses call for action on flooding

A TD has called on Cork City Council to allocate workers to clear drains “52 weeks of the year” and to seek funding from central government for a complete overhaul of the city’s drainage system.

Thomas Gould, Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, said antiquated drains, which he claimed were only cleared of leaves and debris “sporadically”, had greatly exacerbated flooding at the weekend.

However, Cork City Council said: “The statement that no works cleaning or maintenance have been carried out to the drains in Blackpool is not factually correct.”

It follows torrential rain which left some low-lying parts of the northside of Cork city underwater on Saturday.

Chair of the Blackpool Regeneration Group, Denis Fitzpatrick, said residents believe drains in the Blackpool area are not adequately being maintained.

“The river isn’t the major issue for flooding, we maintain, it’s the non-maintenance of the storm drains.” Water, he said, flows from higher up areas such as North Monastery Road and Spring Lane and pools in the low-lying village.

Local environmentalist Chris Moody agreed that flooding in Blackpool had not been caused by the Bride river, but rather by heavy rainfall flowing down into Blackpool village. He said the concreting over of urban areas was a contributory factor to flooding.

“If you have that many hard surfaces, and you have that much more water, overwhelming the drainage system, it has no option but to come up.”

Meanwhile, Mr Gould added: “People all across Blackpool have been terrified all weekend that they were going to be wiped out, and not being able to get flood insurance is a huge issue for people in the area. [Cork City Council] need to look at putting in large, long drains capable of diverting water away from low-lying areas, and this is a totally separate issue to the OPW (Office of Public Works) work that relates to the Bride and the Glen river,” he said.

“They need to seek funding for that work from central government.”

A spokesperson for Cork City Council said it has dedicated gully drainage crews who are assigned solely to clearing the 22,000 gullies in the city centre and surrounding suburban areas. 

“During 2022 and 2023 Cork City Council undertook extensive maintenance and renewal works to the surface water drainage system in Blackpool. This involved not only cleaning out gullies and pipes but also the installation of additional gullies in order to assist with surface water drainage.”

Separately, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns labelled repeat flooding in West Cork “extremely demoralising for business owners”. She suggested commercial rates bills be waived or extended, and that grant s be extended.

Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan said he was in Bantry on Saturday when the floods hit and “to say businesses were angry is an understatement”. He added that the emergency business flooding scheme, which provided vital to affected businesses in Midleton, “must be extended to Bantry,” quickly.

However. the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is available to provide to those living in properties affected by flooding, it has been confirmed.

The scheme provides income-tested financial to people whose homes are damaged from flooding and severe weather events.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys acknowledged “the disruption the that severe weather and flooding is causing for individuals and families in County Cork, especially in Bantry”.

Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Kieran O’Donnell, visited the town following the deluge to promise prioritisation of works to clear culverts, which was promised in 2021 but hasn’t yet been carried out.

Independent TD Michael Collins said there was “great anger” in the town, and when Mr O’Donnell visited “some people would hardly speak to him, they walked past him because they were furious”.

Fine Gael general election candidate, councillor Noel O’Donovan, said he is working closely with the Taoiseach and ministers on the issue, and that Mr O’Donnell will meet Cork County Council, the Office of Public Works, Uisce Éireann, and the consultants on the culvert scheme to explore ways it can be expedited. A Cork County Council spokesperson told The Echo: “The main culvert system in Bantry was overwhelmed by the volume of rainfall on Saturday,” and explained that they plan to replace a section of the culvert to provide increased hydraulic capacity.

“This project is well advanced, and it is anticipated that public notice of the Part VIII planning process will be given later this year,” they said.

Additionally, the spokesperson added that a flood relief scheme is currently in the optioneering stage.

“It is anticipated that the preferred scheme will be identified in 2025 and the scheme will move to planning stage at the end of that year.”

Any homeowner who needs to access the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme s can the Community Welfare Service by phoning 0818 607080.