Additional €1.1m Flood Funding Announced For East Cork

Minister Kevin "Boxer" Moran TD has announced the allocation of €1.077m funding for studies and works to introduce interim and flood mitigation measures in Mogeely, Castlemartyr, Rathcormac and Ballintubber. The announcement is part of an overall €14m allocation to Midleton and East Cork following Storm Babet.

The funding is made available through the OPW's revised Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. It is in addition to the €1.35m previously allocated under the scheme to flood mitigation measures across East Cork, including in Killeagh, Youghal and Whitegate.

Minister Moran said:

"the allocation today is an example of how the revised Minor Works Scheme, which I announced in May this year, is delivering mitigation measures to at risk communities pending a flood relief scheme being completed for their communities."

The €1,077,260 total is made up of €599,078 for a study to identify interim flood mitigation measures for Mogeely and Castlemartyr, and €265,680 for investigative works in Rathcormac to identify interim flood mitigation measures. A further €212,502 is allocated to Ballintubber, to install pipe from the northern boundary of the nursery (Irish Plant Propagation Ltd) to the outfall of the stream.

The Minister highlighted:

"today's announcement is part of an overall €14m allocation to Midleton and East Cork, demonstrating the Government's commitment to addressing and mitigating the flood risk in this region, following Storm Babet three years ago"

Speaking following a meeting with the elected representatives from the East Cork region, the Minister said that the €5.8m investment will complete, in November, the delivery and installation of over 2,000 individual property protection measures to over 700 property owners impacted by Storm Babet.

The Minister also outlined that a further €5.8m investment is allowing for advance works in Tir Cluain, Midleton to progress to construction from Spring next year. These advance works will protect 135 properties.

On the main flood relief scheme for Midleton, the Minister was informed by Cork County Council, the lead agency for the scheme, that it is due to receive the final planning engineering and environmental assessment documents for the scheme from its consultants this month. This will allow the Council to make a planning application for the Midleton Flood Relief Scheme, to protect 750 properties, and all of those impacted by Storm Babet, to An Coimisiún Pleanála at the end of the year. The scheme is scheduled to be substantially completed in 2031.

Since its introduction in 2009, the OPW has approved some 60 projects and some €7.4 million in funding to County Cork under the OPW's Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme.