Ms Clare McGrath:

I can speak to that issue but not on the specifics. On flood relief schemes generally, we undertake a pre-feasibility study in terms of the various stages during which we undertake consultations with local stakeholders and local authorities. We go through the pre-feasibility stage, the feasibility stage, the exhibition stage -which involves extensive consultation - and then the pre-design stage. Under the Planning Acts, the exhibition stage deals with what, in the context of construction projects, would normally be referred to as the planning stage. There can be various iterations as has happened on a number of schemes where we get a lot of observations which might have us reconsider what we have and then we have to go back to exhibition stage. There are quite a few stages that must be undertaken. After this we must consider ecological and archaeological issues that might arise. One cannot go in and carry out works and come out and consider what has to be done because it is within a river. We have to engage in a great deal of information gathering, extensive modelling, hydrology studies, surveying and hydraulic modelling, for example, on the CFRAM maps. We have produced 40,000 such maps for the 300 areas and have surveyed 12% or 13% of the country. Extensive works must be undertaken. We procure consultants and contractors in compliance with EU rules and, as part of that process, we are obliged to obtain statutory consent. Statutory consent is something new which has arisen. We are the developer and would have undertaken the environmental impact assessment. Consent is undertaken by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Under new EU regulations, the Minister is required to obtain an independent assessment of our assessment. So that is another step that has to be undertaken. Once we have the consent, we proceed to undertaking the actual work because we will also have completed extensive design work in relation to this and procuring the contractor.