Taoiseach says Midleton flood relief scheme ‘absolutely essential to protect life’

The Taoiseach said the planning process will mean that Midleton’s flood relief scheme will take time, but it will be work which will have life-saving implications for generations to come.

Mr Martin said the catastrophic flooding that Midleton had experienced in the wake of Storm Babet in October 2023 had brought a very real threat of a loss of life. 

The Taoiseach was in Midleton on Thursday afternoon with the minister of state at the Office of Public Works (OPW), Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran to inspect the progress of flood relief works in the town.

In mid-October 2023, the East Cork town was hit by catastrophic flooding after Storm Babet brought torrential rainfall to southern Ireland.

Over two days, more than 100mm of rainfall hit Midleton, which was the equivalent of a month’s worth of rain in the town.

With the ground already sodden after an extremely wet late summer and early autumn, swollen rivers burst their banks and around 400 Midleton homes and 300 businesses were flooded, with damages estimated at nearly €200m.

Mr Martin told The Echo that the necessary budgeting was in place for the Midleton scheme, which he said should be completed by 2030 or 2031.

“My concern coming out of Storm Babet was there was a very real threat of loss life there, thankfully that did not happen, some people say if it was in the middle of the night it could have happened, others say if a full tide was there, there are many variables give rise to the impact of a storm,” he said.

“Midleton is unique in terms of the various sources of threat, if you like, and if they all combine, it could lead to very, very nasty flooding event, so this scheme is absolutely essential to protect life and livelihoods.” 

Mr Martin said he was impressed with the interim works undertaken by the OPW and Cork County Council in the East Cork town, describing as “very effective” flood barriers which would come into effect on the main street in the event of flooding.

The Taoiseach visited the Woodlands housing estate, which was on the frontline of the flooding after Storm Babet in October 2023, where he inspected an extensive barrier, which he said in essence raised the river bank.

Mr Martin said he had not visited residents whose homes had been flooded, but he intended to return and meet with them in the future.

“A lot of work is being done on an interim basis, notwithstanding the need to push on, get the main scheme delivered over the next number of years,” he said.

“The expected completion date is around 2030, 2031, and that is due mainly to consents, and planning and various procedures that have to be gone through, because as you know, flooding schemes have been subject to many objections in the past, so getting it right from the outset is critical, the county council is taking the lead, they’re determined to get the process right, to get all the engagements right, all the consents right, that ultimately will make the planning process smoother.” 

James O’Connor, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork East TD said he was delighted to have the Taoiseach and minister in Midleton “after what has been a couple of extremely difficult years for residents in the wake of Storm Babet”.

“We have a huge body of work, involving over 300 landowners now, to develop the main Midleton Flood Relief Scheme, and I also want to the other locations, Rathcormac, Killagh, Mogeely, Castelmartyr, and other rural parts of East Cork that were devastated by flooding,” he said.

“Homes and businesses were underwater, so having the Taoiseach and Minister ‘Boxer’ Moran here has been really, really positive.”