Madam, – Arising out of the November 2009 flooding which inundated Cork city and environs, a recent estimate for Cork flood defence costs is circa €100 million.
What appears to have been overlooked by the powers that be at national and local level is that Ireland has already signed up to the EU Water Framework Directive 2006 and the Assessment and Management of Flood Risks Directive 2007.
Both these directives spell out the responsibilities of EU member states in respect of good river basin management practices, and in particular, ensuring adequate flood defence systems are developed and put in place.
The directives caution on any development on riparian flood plains.
All of this has fallen on deaf ears in the Department of the Environment, and Cork city and county councils – the latter’s own headquarters is located on the River Lee flood plain.
Expenditure on flood defences is cost effective in the long-term, and goes some way towards mitigating the extremes of severe flooding. The OPW has published a national assessment of riparian land zones at risk from flooding.
Given that the November 2009 flooding in Cork was “man made” and largely down to the ineptitude of the ESB regarding its management of the Lee hydroelectric dam (whose purpose apart from power generation, is to control water flows in the downstream reaches of the River Lee).
The cost for Cork’s flood defences should be borne in part by the ESB, given that it was responsible for the subsequent disastrous flood events which caused hardship to many householders, including myself. – Yours, etc,