The Cabinet would hear an update today
on the flooding throughout the State, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said.
This would be followed by a full report from Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan and Minister of State for the Office of Public Works (OPW) Brian Hayes next Tuesday.
"We will then see how to deal with the situation,'' said Mr Kenny.
He said he agreed that climate change was having a serious and unprecedented impact on the Republic. The current estimate of providing flood defences for Cork was between €50 million and €100 million. The OPW had spent €50.6 million in Cork in the past six years.
Mr Kenny said there was "an engineering challenge'' in the defence of Cork city and its inhabitants and businesses.
Flood defences
He said between 1996 and last year €320 million had been spent by the OPW on flood defences. Some €25 million related to minor flood works, with an additional €50 million spent on other programmes, mainly catchment flood-risk assessment.
He agreed with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin who said the €250 million, to be provided over the next five years for flood relief, was not enough. The impact of climate change was now accepted.
Mr Martin said the Government's response was not sufficiently urgent, with no national co-ordination going on. It was known from successful flood-prevention schemes in Clonmel, Mallow and Fermoy that they did work.
“Studies are ongoing in Cork, but I am reliably informed that it will be 2016 or 2017 before any flood prevention works commence.’’
What had occurred throughout the State was a national emergency requiring a sufficient response, he said.
Bankers and politicians
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said there was always money for consultants, bankers and politicians, but not enough for citizens in need.
He said there was a requirement for a Government-funded financial aid scheme for those who could not get insurance cover because of where they lived.
“There are historic planning debacles but we are talking in the main about the humanitarian plight of ordinary working-class communities and small businesses with no major resource of their own.
“Their property and their belongings are destroyed, and they must replace everything from scratch.’’
Mr Adams said his party had been arguing for contingency plans to deal with the issue of flooding and other developments related to changing weather patterns.
Worst impact
"Many people are angry that measures which might have been put in place before this, to offset the worst impact of flooding, were not taken.''
It had been reported, said Mr Adams, that 300 cities, towns and villages in the State were at “significant risk’’ of flooding.
