Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Fleming’s question is timely in the light of the capital plan. Good progress is being made on the national catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme which is the principal vehicle for implementing the EU floods directive and forms the strategic focus of national flood policy for some years, since approximately 2006. Engineering consultants have been appointed by the Office of Public Works, OPW, to implement the programme, through six regional studies. Local authorities and other stakeholders are involved, in partnership with the OPW, on steering groups and progress groups across the six study areas. I am sure Deputy Fleming and all Deputies in this House are aware of and have been involved in the consultation days in their own areas. This programme is focusing on 300 mainly urban, areas for further assessment, AFAs, including 90 coastal areas. It involves the production of predictive flood hazard and risk mapping for each location, the development of preliminary flood risk management options and the production of flood risk management plans.

The flood risk management plans will include a prioritised list of measures, both structural and non-structural, to address flood risk in an environmentally sustainable and cost effective manner. Structural measures in the plans will be taken to outline design stage. The plans will be used to determine national priorities for State investment in flood defences, on a systematic and objective basis that takes into account social and environmental factors as well as economic criteria.

Under the programme, draft predictive flood maps have been produced. They are currently available to view on the website. They were the subject of a series of local public consultation days which concluded in April 2015. The flood maps will be finalised following a statutory national consultation scheduled for late 2015. A series of local public consultation days on the preliminary flood risk management options is under way in the west and Shannon CFRAM study areas. The flood risk management plans, namely, the solutions, are scheduled to be completed in late 2016. Further information is available on www.cfram.iebut ultimately, as the Deputy is aware, this is a major plan which has been undertaken over a significant period of years by the Office of Public Works. We are getting very close to the point whereby this time next year we will have the emergence of not just maps but potential solutions for many of the 300 communities. It will require significant investment. It is a matter for Government but the plan could take ten years to roll out at an ultimate cost of approximately €1 billion.

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