Election candidate seeks review of Cork homes excluded from flood protection grants

A general election candidate for Cork East has written to the Minister for the Office of Public Works to ask for exclusions from flood protections grants to be examined.

Social Democrats councillor Liam Quaide said it is “a source of great frustration and disappointment for some property owners” that they are excluded from the East Cork Individual Property Protection Scheme for property owners at risk of flooding.

Those excluded “are clearly at risk of flooding” and in some instances their neighbours in the same estate are being offered the grant, he said.

In most of the cases of people who have been declined, the residents happened to be home on the day when the flood struck, and “through quick-thinking and resourcefulness took action that managed to keep the waters” out of their homes.

Applications declined

For example, “The vast majority of residents of the Meadows in Mogeely have also had their applications declined,” Mr Quaide said.

“In that estate, two houses flooded on October 18, 2023. However, it took sustained, collective efforts by a group of residents who, again, happened to be home at the time to keep much of the flood waters out of the estate and thereby save other houses from the same fate.

“They did so by erecting a large makeshift barrier at the entrance to the estate. Essentially, these residents referenced above are being punished for their ingenuity in responding to the October 2023 flood.” 

These people are being encouraged to apply anyway and there are “vague soundings from Cork Co. Council that they may be considered for an IPP grant at a later stage when the most at-risk properties are dealt with first,” he said.

“However, they have already waited 13 months for this support since the last flood, and it is a clear failure of the State to not have implemented flood relief schemes to protect East Cork over many years.” 

A spokesperson for Cork County Council told The Echo: “As of November 5, 609 of the 774 applications to the Midleton and East Cork Individual Property Scheme were approved and progressed to the next stage.

Eligibility criteria

“13% (101) of the applicants have been deemed to not satisfy the eligibility criteria on first appraisal. Some of these property owners may be those referred to in councillor Quaide’s correspondence.”

The Midleton and East Cork Individual Property Protection scheme is designed to protect properties which are predicted to be at risk of flooding in a 1% AEP fluvial event or a 0.5% AEP tidal event — meaning a river flooding event with a 1 in 100 chance of happening in any given year or a tidal flooding event with a 1 in 200 chance.

The spokesperson said, “It is important to note that Storm Babet was a much larger event than a 1% AEP fluvial event.

“In addition, where property owners have provided sufficient information/evidence to demonstrate action taken on the day which prevented internal flooding of their properties during Storm Babet, they would be deemed eligible for the scheme.

“Cork County Council has written to all applicants who were deemed ineligible on first appraisal to confirm this. If an applicant has been advised that they are ineligible for the scheme and are of the view that this decision is incorrect, the applicant can email ipp@corkcoco.ie; outline why their application should be reviewed.”