Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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As Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works, OPW, and flood relief, I welcome the opportunity to come before this committee to discuss the functions of the OPW and its 2019 gross allocation of just under €467 million. Within this allocation, programme A, which relates to flood risk management, received an allocation of just under €112 million. With the ongoing challenge of climate change and more severe weather, this allocation is most welcome in supporting both capital infrastructural and non-infrastructural work to mitigate against flooding nationwide and to provide much-needed protection to homes and businesses.

As the committee is aware, 29 flood risk management plans were published in 2018. These plans contain 118 new projects to be progressed over the next decade, which will provide protection to 95% of those properties assessed in the plans to be at significant flood risk. The first phase of the implementation has commenced, including 57 projects to be advanced by the OPW and the local authorities, consisting of 26 medium to major schemes, with values between €1 million and €40 million and 31 smaller projects, with individual values of under €1 million. The remainder of the projects will be progressed over the course of the next ten years. In addition to this, the OPW continues to implement the prior programme of capital flood relief, which has ten projects at the construction stage and a further 24 schemes at the design and planning stages. These new flood relief schemes, together with those 77 schemes complete or under way, will provide flood protection to approximately 33,000 properties at risk from significant flood events.

Programme B within the 2019 Estimates provides funding of €355 million for estate management. This facilitates the works of the Office of Public Works, OPW, in providing accommodation primarily, but not exclusively, for office use across 17 Departments, to An Garda Síochána and many other State agencies. The current OPW office accommodation estate comprises of 870,000 sq. m, accommodating approximately 40,000 civil servants.

Estate management also supports funding for heritage sites and monuments. In 2018, we have again seen an increase in visitor numbers at heritage sites and a corresponding increase in the Exchequer revenue. The culture and heritage estate managed by the Office of Public Works continues to play an important part in Ireland's tourism infrastructure. The OPW is happy to play its part in ensuring that visitors to Ireland who want to experience these sites have a full, fulfilling and engaging experience. The commitment of the Office of Public Works in this area is highlighted by the nomination of OPW-managed sites in recent awards. Kilkenny Castle, Newgrange, and the Phoenix Park were nominated for Ireland's favourite local attraction in the Irish Independent2019 reader travel awards, with the Phoenix Park selected as the overall winner. This is in addition to the Phoenix Park receiving a gold international large park award from the World Urban Parks Association.

I have provided a brief outline of the broad-ranging essential works carried out by the OPW on behalf of Government and am more than happy to take questions on the OPW 2019 Estimate. I also express my appreciation for the committee's time and input in considering the valuable outputs to be achieved through this funding.