Tags: Cork, Flooding, inquiry, Ireland, Jerry Buttimer, John Gormley, politics
John Gormley
MINISTER John Gormley’s unwillingness to conduct an independent inquiry to establish the cause of the recent serious flooding in Cork city is “wholly unsatisfactory” and “gives two fingers to the people of Cork” in their efforts to prevent such a travesty from occurring again in the future according to local Fine Gael senator Jerry Buttimer.
“Deputy Gormley’s refusal to instigate an independent inquiry into how and the why Cork was flooded is a clear abdication of responsibility by the Green Minister. Questions have yet to be answered as to why Cork was submerged under water and why the quay walls of Grenville Place collapsed. The River Lee catchment flood risk assessment and management study is clearly being long-fingered by a Government resolved to do nothing.
“There is a clear and compelling need for an independent investigation to ascertain the facts leading up to the release of water, the method of communication between the different agencies involved and with local people and businesses.
“We need to ascertain why there was a deficit in communications; why no early flood warning system was in place; why we do not have a coded flooding alert system and most pertinently in this case, who makes decisions on water storage and water discharge. This is about transparency and accountability. It is about getting answers to the questions that every citizen affected has been asking.
“The need for an investigation is based on a number of factors but most notably the fact that the report presented to Cork City Council by its manager, Joe Gavin, is completely at variance with what the ESB told Oireachtas Members of all parties at meetings in Cork and, furthermore, what it has stated publicly.
“The Government’s reaction to date has been wholly unsatisfactory. The Minister has effectively given two fingers to the people of Cork. Serious questions remain unanswered and clarity must be obtained so that such occurrences, and subsequent devastation, can be avoided in the future,” he said.
Below is an extract from P.ie regarding a late night Senad sitting on a friday to discuss flooding in 2000 ! does this mean the Cork flooding will have to wait until 2018 to be discussed ?
Seanad sat on Friday – so Senators could claim overnight expenses for FF event
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From the Irish Sunday Mail – which as it’s not online, much of the good stories get missed from, reported that last Friday the Seanad sat (which is only the third time this year – it doesn’t normally sit on Fridays) – it discussed flooding, but not recent flooding, flooding from 2000.
The Sunday Mail reported that the Seanad sat so that Fianna Fail Senators could claim overnight expenses from going to the Cairde Fianna Fail event in Citywest – the overnight expense they could claim is about €268.
10.52 – Thanks to the folks in the Daily Mail for sending on the PDFs to share with Politics.ie
Quote:
Seanad sat ‘so members could claim €280 party expenses’
John Lee
Political Editor
” IT TAKES a lot to persuade the members of Seanad Éireann to stretch their working week into a Friday: only the direst national emergency – or, apparently, the chance of a subsidised night in the capital, followed by a good knees-up. Just three times this year has the Seanad – much criticised as an irrelevant talking shop – broken precedent and sat on a Friday: once in February as the country faced financial ruin, and twice in July as the Government tried to rush through key legislation before those long, long summer holidays. This Friday, the Seanad again punched in an extra day – and sure enough, the honourable members discussed the terrible flooding on the River Shannon… er, in November 2000. “
Sorry link for above quote from P.ie is :
http://www.politics.ie/oireachtas/120227-seanad-sat-friday-so-senators-could-claim-overnight-expenses-fianna-fail-event.html
So lets have some comment from FF TD michael Mcgrath or FF’s Cllr K O Flynn on how the tax payer are picking up the tab for FF Senators stay over for the Cairde Fail dinner by scheduling an unprecedented senate sitting on a fri night. How can they reconcile this with cuts to Social Welfare ?
Lets get this clear for once and for all, green as in money yellow in all other things .John is lost he is now in the dark side