Fianna Fail has vowed to continue to lobby the Government to ensure the flood relief schemes in Cork are delivered.

TD Aindrias Moynihan said people living in Ballyvourney and Ballymakeera are still waiting for the urgently needed flood relief scheme six years after the initial designs were first published.

He said: "For the past number of years, the local community have been promised progress but for all intents and purposes, no progress has been made.

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"The detailed design was due for completion in 2016. That was after the National Parks and Wildlife Service had cleared everything with the pearl mussel.

"A second exhibition was originally promised for spring 2017, then that was pushed to the end of 2017, and now, based on the Minister's reply, it's being promised for the start of 2018.

"How can the Minister and the Government allow further slippage on this vitally critical project?

"Until this project is completed, local residents will struggle to get viable insurance cover. In addition to homes, there is a very real risk of flooding to the national primary road, and to schools and businesses."

(CD/MH)