Ministers fail to meet East Cork residents over interim flood measures

EAST CORK residents impacted by Storm Babet last October travelled to Leinster House yesterday to present a petition to senior politicians, which contained almost 15,000 signatures calling for urgent interim flood measures — however none of the ministers they invited met with them.

The 15-strong delegation of the Midleton/East Cork Flood Protection Group had invited four ministers, including the minister for the Office of Public Works and the minister for social protection, to meet them.

While the group did not meet with the invited ministers, instead, they met a group of Cork TDs including Pat Buckley and Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire of Sinn Féin; David Stanton of Fine Gael; James O’Connor and Padraig O’Sullivan of Fianna Fáil; and Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín.

During a lengthy meeting, they made their case for interim flood measures to be implemented in their area as a matter of urgency and highlighted difficulties families were facing in accessing the humanitarian funding promised to make their homes habitable again.

Group secretary Caroline Leahy said the TDs they met listened to the residents as they outlined their situation.

“We had no commitment as to when the flood defences will be in place and no commitment for reviewing the humanitarian aid scheme and, generally, no timeline for delivery of anything that we need,” she said, adding that the small number of households offered funding to meet the cost of the structural damages were only getting a fraction of the costs involved.

According to Cork East Sinn Féin TD Pat Buckley, it was vital for the Midleton/East Cork group to come to Dublin to tell their stories.

“It’s testament to the long-term damage, not to mind anything else,” said the TD.

“I raised the flooding issue with the minister just three weeks ago and was told the money was there.”

He urged the Midleton/East Cork group to give TDs the list of interim flood measures they are seeking.

Cork North Central Fianna Fáil TD Padraig O’Sullivan said agreement had been reached for the group to have a meeting with officers of the Department of Social Protection to outline their concerns about the operation of the humanitarian fund set up after Storm Babet.

Under the terms of this fund, households were promised up to 100% of the cost of structural repairs to their flood-damaged homes.

The Echo has contacted both the Office of Public Works and the Department of Social Protection to seek a response regarding the issues raised by the Midleton/East Cork Flood Protection Group petition.