A SOLICITOR representing householders and businesses hit by last year’s flooding in Cork city has strongly criticised the failure of the local and national authorities to carry out repair work to the city’s quays almost a year on from the disaster.
Joe Noonan, who acts for more than 50 householders and businesses flooded in November 2009, said it simply was not acceptable that repair work had not been carried out to the city quays and in particular at Grenville Place where a 20m section of wall is still missing.
Mr Noonan said that it appeared that the wall at Grenville Place was destroyed by water seeking to re-enter the north channel of the river Lee having flooded homes and businesses in the Middle Parish but the failure to repair it left the area vulnerable to flooding this winter.
“It seems more likely the wall was damaged by water from the streets trying to get back into the river but now that it’s gone, it means that a combination of high tides, easterly winds and heavy discharges from the Inniscarra dam could lead to the river flowing out into Grenville Place.”
Mr Noonan said that several hundred householders in Henry Street, Millerd Street and the Middle Parish generally were facing into the winter with apprehension as it appeared nothing had been done to either repair the quay walls or improve the early warning system.
“There’s no evidence of any plan to mitigate future problems – the recent tidal flooding along the quays in Cork brought home to people how vulnerable they are and there’s been no evidence of a streamlining of the warning systems to alert people in specified locations.
“As for Grenville Place, the scene up there is evidence of the inactivity on the part of the authorities – the walls that were destroyed were built in the 18th century and yet 200 years on, we can’t rebuild a 20m section of wall within 11 months – it’s just unacceptable.”
Mr Noonan was commenting after Martin Mansergh, Minister of State at the OPW, told a Seanad debate that funding had been approved for the repair of the quay wall at Grenville Place and other repair work and it is hoped to have the work completed before Christmas.
Mr Mansergh told Cork Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer that the project had to go out to tender in line with EU rules on competition but it was anticipated that a contractor would be appointed for the project in November.
Mr Buttimer said that it was “extraordinary” that it could take 12 months to repair a section of quay wall which left both the residents and businesses in the area exposed to the risk of flooding and people were understandably apprehensive of a repeat of last November’s events.
“The weeks are rolling in fast and the people of Cork are asking for at least the minor works to be carried out,” he said.
Mr Buttimer said that nothing had been done to introduce an early flood warning system and last weekend, following a tidal flooding of some quay areas, residents of the Marsh and Middle Parish areas were “nervous of what’s coming down the tracks this winter”.