I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to speak on this subject. I also thank the Minister for coming to the House to respond. I demand the urgent start to the second and final phase of the Baldoyle flood relief scheme to prevent a recurrence of the flooding in Baldoyle parish which recently devastated the area. While media attention has rightly been given to the disastrous impact of the recent storm on the Ringsend and East Wall areas of Dublin city, the flooding of homes on the coast road and rural areas of Baldoyle parish has largely been overlooked.
At around 1 p.m. on 1 February, a torrent of water burst over the banks of the swollen river Mayne and poured south down the rural Mayne and coast roads towards Baldoyle village. The two cottages nearest the Mayne occupied by the O'Rourke family were quickly flooded as water poured under the front doors and, inside the homes, rose quickly to half a metre and inflicted serious damage on both households. For a number of hours it appeared other outlying areas of Baldoyle would be similarly affected, as they have been for many decades.
Baldoyle parish is a polder, a low-lying area of land which is partly below sea level. It is often compared to a saucer with the centre in Seagrange public park and the surrounding edges occupied by residential houses. In recent decades serious rain has always led to major flooding in districts such as Abbey Park, Stapolin, Seagrange and the Grange Road. Following the tragic death of a teenage boy almost eight years ago, a determined effort was made by Baldoyle Community Association and all its constituent bodies, with my support and that of other public representatives, to protect the area once and for all.
After many delays, the first phase of the Baldoyle flood relief scheme was funded and implemented under the Minister for the Environment and Local Government in the previous Government, Deputy Howlin. This improved drainage considerably in the Grange Road area. However, there has been a delay for the past four years on the second phase of the scheme which I understand has been redesigned several times. The implementation of the scheme appears to have come to a halt. The scheme is intended to separate the Mayne river basin, which flows into Baldoyle Bay, from the south flowing tributaries, which flow into Dublin Bay, by means of a large earth embankment, and to support water movement with a pumping station.
When I queried what happened last week with Fingal County Council director of drainage, Mr. Douglas Hyde, and senior county engineer, Mr. John Daly, I was informed that the high spring tide of 5.46 metres combined with easterly winds raised the level of the Mayne river to such an extent that the works carried out by the first phase of the flood relief scheme on the Mayne River gate prevented the river from escaping into the sea. As a result, it turned south and flowed into the homes of my constituents.
It is very annoying that, after tremendous efforts by the community in Baldoyle, the second phase of the flood relief scheme will not go to tender this month as I was continually promised for the past 18 months by the county manager, Mr. Willie Soffe, and his officials. The blame does not lie with Fingal County Council officials or the county manager because I am informed the foreshore licence for the second phase of the flood relief scheme – effectively the planning permission – has not been granted by the Minister, Deputy Fahey, as it was not by his predecessor, my constituency colleague, Deputy Woods. Without the foreshore licence, the second phase of the flood relief scheme cannot be implemented. I am told Dúchas has requested certain guarantees before the Minister can issue the foreshore licence because it has a concern about pollutants from residential housing issuing into the fragile Baldoyle Bay.
Be that as it may, four years have passed – the lifetime of the Government – and this important area of Dublin and parish of my constituency is still left vulnerable to flooding every time there is the type of stormy weather which occurred a few weeks ago. I appeal to the Minister of State and his colleague, the Minister, Deputy Fahey, to grant the foreshore licence quickly in order that the Fingal county manager can proceed to ensure the events of 1 February 2002 never recur. It is interesting that a major housing and commercial development of a size between that of Tralee and Waterford city is being planned for this area north of Baldoyle. It is annoying for residents that a major hydrology study has not been undertaken. I would like the second phase of the flood relief scheme to be implemented and a major hydrology study of the area to be conducted.
