LAST Sunday’s flooding in Ballinascarthy, Kilbrittain and Ardcahan Bridge and other parts of West Cork will happen again unless streams and rivers can be cleaned of debris and deepened, local representatives have warned.
They have also called for an urgent review of the Arterial Drainage Act to allow these works be undertaken and say that clarity is needed about doing work on rivers.
The status yellow rainfall last Sunday saw part of the R603 road between Kilbrittain and Bandon washed away, while some residents near Ardcahan Bridge were stranded twice due to the river bursting its banks.
The Kilbrittain road is expected to be fully re-opened by the end of the week.
Several houses and the local shop in Ballinascarthy were flooded, while some homes were flooded in Halfway as a result of the Owenaboy river bursting its banks. Several roads across the county were also impassable last Sunday.
A weather station in Dunmanway recorded 321mls of rainfall over the past 30 days which, according to one Council official, is 50% above what is regarded as a very wet month.
Speaking to The Southern Star, Teddy O’Donovan of the Village Store in Ballinascarthy said thankfully they had sandbags in place before the river burst its banks.
Flooding in Ballinascarthy village
‘The speed of the flooding was frightening, and within ten minutes the water was inside, but it didn’t cause any damage to the premises,’ said Teddy.
‘We had another issue with flooding in November. Something has to be done. If this had happened during the night, it certainly could have been a lot worse for everyone in the village,’ he said. Locals and fire crews managed to stop water getting into the newly-refurbished parish hall, which had cost half a million euro to revamp.
At this week’s meeting of Cork County Council, Cllr Michael John Foley (FG) said that the floods tore up the road between Carey’s Cross and Brennan’s Bridge on the R603, pointing out that the road was raised up a number of years ago, but that the stream has risen up too, since then.
‘This stream needs to be cleaned of debris and deepened, but we can’t do this due to legislation and fear of prosecution from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI),’ said Cllr Foley. ‘Protecting wildlife – which I am very much in favour of – seems to be more important than protecting the public.’
He said the river in Ballinascarthy also needs to be cleared of debris and deepened, with the installation of a defence wall upstream to avoid it overflowing further up. He called for an urgent review of the Arterial Drainage Act to ensure proper maintenance of rivers and streams.
Cllr Daniel Sexton (Ind Ire) requested if remedial works can take place in Ballinascarthy, which saw the river burst its banks in just 30 minutes.
Cllr Deidre Kelly (FF) highlighted the plight of one resident near Ardcahan bridge, who was stranded twice last weekend due to flooding, while Cllr Una McCarthy (FG) highlighted one resident in Halfway, whose home has been flooded four times since they moved in, eight months ago. She also spoke of another resident who is afraid to leave his home for even a day, fearing that without enough sandbags his property could be engulfed.
Cllr Finbarr Harrington (Ind) said they need to look at the way they interpret European directions on special areas of conservation (sacs). ‘Someone in the department has to have a really serious look at the way we implement European designations. Rivers are being dredged all over the world, but we here can’t seem to do it,’ he said.
Cllr Michael Creed (FG) said they are wasting their time if they are not allowed into rivers to clear them of trees and branches.
‘We are more worried about fish and pearl mussels than people and their properties being flooded,’ said Cllr Creed.
A Council van surveys the flooding on the R599 Clonakilty to Dunmanway road.
Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire) pointed out that rivers were dredged 30 years ago and said it’s time to forget about the pearl mussel and worry more about people’s livelihoods.
Cllr Gillian Coughlan (FF) said they need to lobby the government to amend the Arterial Drainage Act, which was last amended 30 years ago. County mayor Cllr Joe Carroll (FF) said something has to be done about the fact that pearl mussels under bridges are affecting works needing to be done on rivers.
‘This isn’t good enough and we the people are part of nature too, so this conversation must be taken further,’ said Cllr Carroll.
At this week’s meeting of Bandon Kinsale Municipal District, Cllr Alan Coleman (Ind) said this is a political issue and that politicians have farmed out responsibilities to organisations like the IFI and the OPW (Office of Public Works).
‘Until we get changes to the legislation we will continue to have these issues,’ he said. We need political will to take responsibilities and stop farming out to agencies who operated as silos,’ said Cllr Coleman.
Council official Padraig Barrett said that the Council has no responsibility for water courses in private land and they have no role in their management and cleaning.
He added that the absence of a single body responsible for rivers in this country is an issue.
Meanwhile, Cork South West FF TD Christopher O’Sullivan is calling for the expedition of flood relief measures for both Ballinascarthy and Halfway.
‘I’m inviting OPW Minister Kevin Moran down to West Cork and to see first-hand the damage being done by poor flood infrastructure.
‘They’ve experienced more flooding on Sunday and it recurs whenever there is heavy rain. I am urging the Minister to expedite flood relief for those areas.’
Deputy O’Sullivan will also be seeking emergency funding from the Minister for Transport for the damage the floods caused to local roads around the region.
Cork South West Independent Ireland TD Michael Collins, who visited Ballinascarthy last Sunday, said much of this flooding can be avoided by cleaning the rivers and has urged the Minister to approve grant aid to those affected by the flooding.
