A FEASIBILITY study prepared by the Office of Public Works on a €9.6 million plan to prevent flooding in Bandon, west Cork, is expected to be completed by September, with tendering for the project likely to take place next year, Minister of State Brian Hayes has said.
Mr Hayes and officials from the OPW had met with Bandon Flood Relief Committee members Gillian Powell and Maria McLaughlin and outlined the likely schedule for works to prevent any repeat of the November 2009 flood, which caused more than €20 million of damage to the town.
OPW assistant chief engineer Michael Collins said solutions to flooding such as occurred in the Bandon River usually involves either one or more of three measures: defensive works, faster conveyancing of water through the river, or storage.
While the agency was awaiting the results of the finalised study on the Bandon, the indications were that the major flood relief scheme for the town would involve some combination of defensive works and faster conveyancing of water.
Mr Collins said while local campaigners were pressing for an interim dredging operation costing €100,000 to proceed, all the scientific evidence suggested such a move would not help prevent a repeat of the major flooding that occurred in 2009. Such a localised dredging operation would prevent more minor floods but would bring little benefit to Bandon in any major flood events as happened when huge volumes of water swamped over 15sq km under a metre of water. In those circumstances, the OPW questioned the value of spending €100,000 on interim works given that the agency expects to spend in the region of €9 million on a permanent resolution, which it is hoped to have started next year.
Mr Hayes said the Government was committed to providing a permanent solution to the problem in Bandon, but would be guided by the scientific evidence on how to achieve that and would not throw money at interim measures that might not work.
Ms Powell said they had mixed views on Mr Hayes’s pledges as, while they welcomed his commitment to providing funding for a permanent solution, they were disappointed he did not recognise the importance of interim measures until a permanent solution is finalised in 2014.