Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I fully appreciate where the Deputy is coming from as we are from the same constituency. We have a good appreciation for what has happened in Galway, as well as other areas that saw flooding over the winter period? She asked about the cost of CFRAMS. The cost at this stage is estimated, at the time of completion, to be €35 million for 300 projects brought through the process. As it comes to the end of the process, we see the merit in it and what it will do. One of the major elements is that it will take approximately 18 months from the duration of a seven-year process. Any project coming from CFRAMS will hence be delivered more quickly.

On the issue of CFRAMS public consultations, the venues were organised by consultants. My understanding is there was some confusion, particularly in Galway, as referred to by the Deputy, but the meeting was held in Oranmore this year and a number of consultations were also held in Oranmore. The confusion arose because people believed CFRAMS was dealing with south Galway but it was not; south Galway is being dealt with by Galway County Council under a flood relief scheme that is outside of CFRAMS and should be moving ahead of it.

The Deputy asked about the end of the CFRAMS process. Public consultations are ongoing and the last of the 29 areas will be put on display next Friday. It deals with the Suir. When the public consultations are complete and amendments are made to reflect public consultations, the CFRAMS projects will be presented to the Department and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, for approval. They will then go to the local authorities for adoption or whatever. From then they will be a priority list of the 300 projects. There will be a strategic plan to deal with them on a ten-year basis. The projects that give the best cost benefit and see the highest risk will be dealt with. That process will not begin until the consultation process is complete.

We will have to come back to the Deputy on why Banagher was not included.