The Government has been urged to provide immediate flood relief for Bantry in West Cork. 

A number of businesses in the town were flooded yesterday following an Orange Rain warning in the county. 

Independent TD for Cork South-West Michael Collins said the State needs to urgently outline how businesses will be supported in the difficult days ahead.

“These businesses can’t survive if this continuously happens to them,” he said. 

“The doors will be shutting in businesses because they’re now reaping huge losses again and there’s little or no funding available for these businesses. 

“They have no flood insurance; certainly the Government needs to at least step in and compensate the businesses right now.” 

Cork County Councils Crisis Management Team has met twice today and is scheduled to meet again tonight.

Members of the public are being urged to exercise caution on the roads as driving conditions remain difficult due to excess surface water.

There has been a specific focus… pic.twitter.com/G4cdjT7wBT

— Cork County Council (@Corkcoco) October 5, 2024

Deputy Collins said many of his constituents were hugely upset at the devastation caused by the flooding. 

“This is a serious blow to the business people and they’re very, very angry and it’s hard to blame them for being angry,” he said. 

“As good as the local authority [is], they still need to spend money in that town to alleviate floods that hasn’t been spent by successive Governments.” 

Bantry also suffered flooding in 2018 and 2020.

Main image: Floods in Bantry. Picture by: Alamy.com