‘Bantry needs help’ – flood-hit traders in Cork warn urgent action needed to prevent future flooding

The warning came as Office of Public Works Minister Kieran O'Donnell toured the west Cork town of Bantry which was hit by flooding on Saturday night after torrential rainfall during the Status Orange alert.

Mr O'Donnell said he perfectly understood "the deep frustration and anger" of local traders and residents who feel they are being held hostage by weather events.

Multiple traders vehemently warned the Limerick TD about the damage that repeated flooding was causing to the Bantry community and the local economy.

Over 20 traders were hit by flooding.

Taoiseach Simon Harris vowed that the Government will organise an immediate aid package for the west Cork town - stressing that "a significant template" is already in place as to how best to help flood-hit communities.

One trader, Catherine Wharton, warned that locals now wanted actions not words.

"We don't want to see politicians coming here suited and booted. What we want is urgent action to prevent future flooding. We have been waiting too long as it is," she said.

Catherine operates a restaurant which was at the forefront of the floodwaters on Saturday.

"If it wasn't for Bantry Fire Brigade I cannot imagine how bad the damage would have been," she said.

The coastal town - ringed by mountains which make rainfall and tidal-related flooding a regular occurrence - was hit by over 50mm of rainfall in a 16 hour period last weekend.

Bantry endured four major floods in the space of just 18 months since 2018.

It has been waiting for a flood defence scheme for over a decade.

Such was the scale of the deluge on Saturday that culverts and drains in Bantry couldn't cope with the raging torrent of water - with the pressure forcing water up through the floors of buildings.

A heavy manhole cover was blown out of position by the sheer force of the water.

Parts of Bantry town centre were left inaccessible as rivers of water poured down New Street and Main Street.

Mr O'Donnell vowed that the Government "will stand fully behind the traders and people of Bantry."

"People are understandably very frustrated," he said.

"I wanted to come down here and see it first hand for myself. They have had a terrible day and night here in Bantry.

"I want to provide reassurance that the Government will stand by the people and traders of Bantry."

"On Tuesday, the Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke and the Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys will bring forward memos to Cabinet to offer emergency support to businesses and humanitarian support in terms of homes."

Mr O'Donnell also said he was going to chair a meeting on Thursday between the OPW, Cork Co Council, Uisce Eireann and the consultants in a bid to accelerate a culvert replacement scheme in Bantry.

The scheme is ready for planning and will, when constructed, alleviate a major element of the flood risk for Bantry.

However, it is not expected to be ready for between four and five years.

"The culvert is the key element here and I want to see how we can expedite it," he said.

Mr O'Donnell also vowed that the Government will implement an aid scheme for traders and householders without flood insurance.

The OPW stressed that flood defence schemes are very successful having helped protect previously flood-prone towns including Fermoy, Mallow, Bandon and Clonmel.

Bantry Business Association (BBA) official Danielle Delaney said the town desperately needed to be protected against such increasingly regular floods.

Susan Shepherd of Philip J Dix Jewellers said the water pressure was so great on Saturday it drove flood waters up through the floor of the business.

"The business has been in operation since the 1930s and we have had three major floods over the past few years. Bantry needs help."

Ian Vickey operates a hardware store and his property was left under 15cm of flood waters.

Talking to Mr O'Donnell he warned that traders needed urgent action.

"We were very lucky this time. The last time in 2020 the water was up to my quad. We had to evacuate my grandmother because she was living next door. The water was up to the counter. This is nothing new.

"After years and years of paying insurance, after the last flood we made a claim and we are no longer insured by our former company.

"We are three generations here. But are we going to avail of this (Government aid) scheme every single time, knowing that it is only going to get worse?"

Marie Wisemen said businesses simply cannot wait for years for the promised flood protection measures.

"We need something to be done now - it cannot go on like this," he added.

Locals stressed that it was "a miracle" more serious damage was not caused at high tide on Saturday evening - with the work of the emergency services proving absolutely invaluable.