Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 15 February 2018

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach

Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised)

10:00 am

Photo of Kevin  MoranKevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent) | Oireachtas source

All systems can be improved. We made a big improvement around the minor works scheme and we changed the criteria to allow local authorities to come back in where schemes have failed in the past. It also made it easier for them to get more funding to deal with minor works schemes.

However, there is also room for improvement in the planning process where we can make gains. A flood defence scheme is not easy to design. One cannot just tell an engineer that this is the design. A scheme must take climate change and, if it on the coast, rising sea levels into account, to make sure it is built to the highest standard and protects people in the future. I have seen housing developments where developers put in a flood relief scheme that did not live up to the task. I am dealing with one in County Donegal currently. The Deputy can see where I am coming from. We have to allow the consultants to come up with the design. I acknowledge there is toing and froing but I am examining that.

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