He said: "Earlier this year a group of concerned residents visited my Bandon office to highlight their concerns. Some of them reported having been flooded up to six times over the last forty years.
"The Bandon Main Flood Relief Scheme has been progressed by the OPW and Minister of State, Brian Hayes TD, since he took office, and is due to commence construction next year. However, the problem on New Road is of a slightly more complex nature. It stems from surface water run-off from the Kilbrittain Road and in more recent years the by-pass road. This surface water run-off has no adequate escape route from the nearby stream to the Bridewell River.
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"After visiting the site earlier this year with me, Minister of State Brian Hayes who has responsibility for the OPW, requested that BLP (Byrne Looby Partners, who are the scheme consultants) come up with proposals to deal with the stream that enters the Bridewell River and also to deal with road drainage. A preliminary design has now been prepared and the OPW has accepted these proposals. The works in the stream involve a larger culvert through the GAA grounds and these works will be carried out in the Flood Relief Scheme. BLP has also prepared preliminary design proposals for changes to the road camber as well as increased road drainage.
"The Main Bandon Flood Relief Scheme was originally due to go to construction this year. Unfortunately, it was delayed as the design consultant was placed in receivership. After a period of three months, however, the Scheme was taken over by BLP who continued to employ the existing team that had been working on the project. Due to this delay the Main Flood Relief Scheme will now not commence in 2013 as originally intended but works will commence in the environmental window of 2014 with the Scheme being completed over two years. I am delighted that a solution to the New Road problem has now been incorporated into the plans and am grateful to Minister of State Hayes for his involvement in the project."
(CD/JP)
