I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise this issue. I should begin by saying I live in Blackpool and over the past two weeks I have seen not just business people but my neighbours completely devastated by what can only be considered volumes of water that have never before been seen in the area. A businessman from Blackpool told me that the last time he saw flooding of this nature, even though not quite as bad, was in 1964. Last week there was a flood which in the case of one business wiped out almost €250,000 worth of stock and equipment. In the case of individuals living in the area, the water simply came in the front door and washed out the back door. One house with all electrical utilities was completely wiped out. This particular lady has four very young children.
Blackpool is a very old area of Cork. It is one of the four villages that rings the city and it has a very elderly population. As well as calling on the Minister to extend humanitarian aid to the Blackpool area and all other areas flooded in the city, we must now investigate what exactly caused the flooding. There has been massive development in the Blackpool area. A field known as the Tan Field and Tuckers Field, which were always flooded and considered a flood plain, are now entirely built on. I wonder has this contributed in a significant way to the volumes of water recently witnessed in the Blackpool area. Manholes were shot into the air by the force of the water. One could say this is as a result of the heavy rainfall, but Cork has never been a particularly dry place. I recall at one stage that it was called the Venice of the south. I do not know why because there were no gondolas. While the rainfall witnessed has been above average, it does not explain entirely the flooding that has taken place.
We must ensure that humanitarian aid is made available in the short-term to ensure people are allowed some quality of life in the run-up to Christmas, which is just three weeks away. I appeal to the Minister for Finance and the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, to make aid available as quickly as possible. In the long-term some investigation must take place to ensure flooding does not occur again. It is my great fear this will recur if something is not done about it.
I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to bring this matter before the House. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, for allowing the humanitarian aid to be extended. I plead with him to ensure this is done in a very speedy fashion. As it is just three weeks from Christmas people cannot afford to wait long. These people are devastated.
