Flood Relief.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 February 2005

Wednesday, 23 February 2005

Questions (110)

Ned O'Keeffe

Question:

154 Mr. N. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Finance if the river banks of two rivers in County Cork (details supplied) will be built up or bridged; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the banks of these rivers collapsed in October or November 2004 following high winds and very heavy rainfall; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that both are tidal rivers and the collapse of the banks has caused serious flooding of lands in the area; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that it has been the responsibility of the Board of Works over the years to rebuild these river banks when damaged by high tides and heavy rainfall and that the residents and farmers of these areas claim that the Board of Works is obliged to carry out the work now required. [6330/05]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. Parlon)

The Commissioners of Public Works currently have no responsibility for the embankments in question. An engineer from the Office of Public Works met on site a number of the affected landowners last week. He carried out a preliminary inspection of the area but survey work will need to be done as well as the checking of levels to form a preliminary view of the full nature and extent of the problem and of the implications, especially financial and environmental, of undertaking remedial works. This further survey will be undertaken as soon as resources permit and when it is completed a report will be prepared in the matter, which will inform consideration of whether flood protection works would be viable, whether they should be undertaken by the State and, if so, what priority should be accorded to them among the long list of schemes the Office of Public Works has been requested to undertake.