LABOUR HAVE CALLED on the government to address the failure to deliver a flood relief scheme in Cork City.

It follows a new investigation published today by The Journal Investigates which found that the Office of Public Works (OPW) has spent over €13m on the design and consultation of a controversial flood defence project in Cork in the past eight years.

Despite this, a final design for the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme (LLRFS) has yet to be decided.

Construction on the project will also not begin until mid-2027, leaving the city susceptible to flooding.

Labour Senator Laura Harmon said “it’s disappointing to see yet another example of overspend by the OPW, particularly given the enormous sums spent before any construction has commenced”. She added:

We need to see investment in flood relief for Cork but we need to be able to trust that public funds are being managed efficiently.

Two major floods hit Cork in recent memory, first in 2009 and again in 2014, highlighting the need for improvement in flood defences.

Between both floods, a reported €140m of damage was caused in Cork.

But almost 20 years since it was first proposed, a flood defence scheme for the city has yet to be agreed.

“Unfortunately, this project has been marked by a distinct failure to provide progress reports to elected representatives and the general public,” Harmon said.

A spokesperson for the OPW said “these costs are attributed to the engineering and environmental requirements which are required and necessary for the planning process.”

They added that “the costs of the design stage element is reflective of the scale of the project and the overall proposed expenditure on the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme.”

A bitter public debate

The LLRFS has proved controversial in Cork, with a bitter public debate leading to several redesigns and refinements.

Save Cork City, a campaign group opposed to the project, have consistently argued that the project will not work and the views of the river in some places will be obstructed.

Instead, the group proposed a tidal barrier downstream of the city as an alternative solution, saying it was more cost-effective and protected the city’s historical aspects.

The OPW have said that the project does not propose building high walls along the river and maintains that the works will not block the river from view.

They also claim that a tidal barrier is “neither viable or appropriate for Cork”.

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Over €13m spent by OPW on controversial Cork flood defence scheme before construction begins

Harmon said “we need to see the best flood protection for Cork which also maintains the aesthetic of the City. This can be and should be done both on time and on budget”.

“We know that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have a very poor track record on delivering public infrastructure projects on time and on cost, so I do hope that the new Minister will be able to grasp the nettle once and for all,” she added.

The Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, has been contacted for comment.

Once the final design is agreed by the OPW, a public consultation will be held later this year.

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Conor O’Carroll is an investigative reporter with The Journal Investigates.

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