A major clean-up operation is under way in Co Cork after up to 65mm of rain was recorded in locations across the county in a 12-hour period yesterday.
Bantry was one of the worst affected areas with a number of shops flooded on Main Street and New Street. The town has experienced regular flooding over the year with four serious incidents in an 18-month period between 2018 and 2020.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke confirmed he will seek urgent Government approval to reopen the Government’s Emergency Business Flooding Scheme for businesses affected by flooding in Bantry.
“I am closely monitoring the reports of significant flooding in Bantry, Co Cork, and acknowledge the distress and the impact it is having on traders and small businesses,” he said.
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“The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is liaising with Cork County Council and I would like to reassure business owners that Government will stand ready to provide support.
“We have previously provided this support through the Emergency Business Flooding Schemes for Small Businesses where businesses, through no fault of their own, have been impacted by flooding events and could not get access to insurance cover. In this event, I will be working across Government to reopen this scheme and provide assistance to our much-valued local businesses at this difficult time,” he said.
Speaking on Sunday in Dublin, Taoiseach Simon Harris said ministers will bring memos to Cabinet on Tuesday to put in place financial supports for those affected.
“We have a significant template at this stage that we tend to roll out and put in place when an area finds itself hit by a flood.
“I know that is no substitute, by the way, for the trauma that you can experience if your business or your home is flooded, but generally, there are supports made available to businesses, through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and to households, through the Department of Social Protection.”
He said that Kieran O’Donnell, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, would be visiting affected areas on Sunday, and liaising with locals on what interim measures can be introduced to protect from flooding in the absence of a flood relief scheme.
The status orange rain warning for Cork, Kerry and Waterford ended at midnight. High tide at 7pm yesterday passed without major incident.
Cork County Council’s Crisis Management Team met on three occasions yesterday. Pumping arrangements were in place at known locations.
Motorists were advised to avoid driving through flowing or standing water and to exercise caution during heavy rain. A number of collisions were reported.
Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan said business owners were angry about repeated flooding.
“There is money ring-fenced for a proposed flood scheme but this hasn’t been completed soon enough,” he said.
Chairperson of the Bantry Business Association, Danielle Delaney, told RTÉ’s This Week programme that business owners in the town were “too angry” to talk about their plight on radio or television.
“People are assessing the damage today and trying to get cleaned up. The reason why I am on the line with you instead of any of the business owners is [because] they simply said they are too upset and too angry.
“It has been four years since this exact same thing happened. Four years ago somebody came down from the Government and looked at all the damage and said ‘don’t worry’. We now have another minister coming to tell us that he can fix this. They [the business owners] are trying to clean up the remnants of what they have got left.”
Ms Delaney said it was beyond time for a “more permanent solution” to the flooding problem in the town.
Meanwhile, Independent TD Michael Collins said that it was disappointing for businesses and homeowners to have to recover from yet more flooding in the town.
“It was shocking to meet business people in Bantry [and for] businesses and homes to once again be flooded. It is not good enough. A big thank you as always to council and fire brigade staff and many volunteers who do their best to save property.”
In Kerry the N71 between Kenmare and the Cork County bounds also flooded. Kerry County Council dealt with a number of localised flooding issues around the county.
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