Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I know the commitment he has to Midleton and to this project.

I am aware of the devastation caused by flooding to communities and the significant impact on people, families, businesses and communities. As the Deputy said, I visited Midleton in my previous role as Minister of State with responsibility for local government. I intend to visit again shortly in my current role as Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW. I saw the devastation first-hand with the Deputy. Along with Councillor Susan McCarthy, we did a thorough tour of the place and met people.

The catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme provided the Government with the evidence necessary to launch a national programme of 150 additional flood relief schemes in 2018. Major flooding in December 2015 and again in January 2016 were the catalysts to commence work on the design of a flood relief scheme for Midleton before the conclusion of the CFRAM programme, as the Deputy so rightly said, a number of years ago. Cork County Council is leading the delivery of the scheme and in 2017 appointed engineering and environmental consultants. Midleton has proven to be one of the most complex schemes. It has flood risks from four sources: fluvial, tidal, groundwater and pluvial.

The preferred scheme has now been identified with an estimated budget of €50 million, which is three times the estimated budget in 2017. This highlights the scale of the project’s increase in scope. It also highlights that we have designed a scheme that is robust, supported by strong evidence that has the support of the local community, and is future-proofed through being adaptable to climate change scenarios. The preferred option protects 580 properties and can give back flood insurance to the town, which we found out many did not have when we met them on the ground. Following Storm Babet, an assessment of the proposed scheme is being completed, so we can have confidence that we have designed a scheme that can meet the standard of protection required by the insurance industry. The next major step is to seek planning consent. Work is ongoing on the development of the planning design for the scheme.

An assessment of additional works, which could be delivered in advance of the main scheme, is ongoing. A report is being finalised with recommendations for interim and advance works to mitigate against flooding in Midleton. This will be made available to the public when it is completed, which I expect will be very shortly. It should be noted that detailed hydraulic assessment of any scheme is required to ensure it is in compliance with the relevant statutory and regulatory frameworks.

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