Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his kind words. I, too, am acutely aware of the flooding that happened throughout the country last winter. I will cut to the chase. The total funding available to the Office of Public Works for its overall flood risk management programme in 2016 is €80.746 million. This amount includes expenditure on capital flood relief works, drainage maintenance activities, the catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme, purchase of plant and equipment, hydrometric and hydrological investigation and monitoring, and the general administration costs for operating the entire programme.

Of the total allocation, €52.561 million has been provided in 2016 for expenditure on flood relief capital works. This amount provides for the preparation and design of flood relief schemes, the construction of flood relief works, the payment of compensation costs arising from these works and the carrying out of minor coastal and non-coastal works by local authorities with funding provided by the OPW under the minor works scheme. It also provides for the carrying out of CFRAM studies. The 2016 allocation includes a deferred surrender or capital carryover of €7 million from the 2015 allocation.

The expenditure to date by the Office of Public Works in 2016 on the flood risk management programme has been €23.223 million. Good progress is being made on the implementation of all of the main elements of the programme. In relation to the capital works element of the programme in particular, major schemes in Ennis, Waterford and the River Wad in Dublin will be completed this year. Works are continuing on the major schemes in Bray, on the River Dodder in Dublin and on the quays in Dublin. The Deputy will be pleased to know that works have now commenced on the River Clare scheme in Claregalway, contracts have been signed for Skibbereen and Bandon and the contractors are mobilising. The schemes at Templemore, Foynes and Dunkellin, again in Galway, are expected to commence construction in 2016.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

Another 21 schemes will continue to be advanced through design and planning stages.

Smaller-scale flood relief works continue to be funded in 2016 through the OPW's minor works scheme, which puts local authorities in funds to carry out more localised flood mitigation measures. Expenditure of €2.5 million to €3 million is anticipated on this scheme in 2016. Approximately 30 projects have been approved for funding to date in 2016, which brings the total number approved since 2009 when the scheme was introduced to 544, with total expenditure of €30 million approximately.

Good progress continues to be made this year also on the implementation of the CFRAM programme. The programme involves the production of predictive flood mapping for 300 areas of significant flood risk, the development of preliminary flood risk management options and the production of flood risk management plans for those areas.

The draft flood mapping is now being finalised, work on the development of preliminary options to address flood risk is under way, leading to the development of integrated flood risk management plans containing specific measures to address in a comprehensive and sustainable way the significant flood risks identified. The draft plans are scheduled to be made available for public consultation from mid-2016. Following the public consultation process, the finalised 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.

The Government recently announced increased levels of investment in the area of flood relief as part of the overall capital investment plan 2016-2021 and this investment programme will allow for consideration of measures arising from the flood risk management plans.

Arising out of the particular difficulties experienced last winter by home owners along the Shannon, the Government decided on 5 January 2016 to establish the Shannon flood State agency co-ordination working group to enhance ongoing co-operation across all of the State agencies involved with the River Shannon. The group has met on three occasions to date and has conducted an audit of the roles and responsibilities of State agency organisations and has published its Shannon flood risk work programme for 2016. This work programme, which is available on the OPW website, sets out co-ordinated actions and activities for the Shannon catchment. The group has engaged in a programme of public consultation and has held a series of open days on its work programme. It is also considering, in co-operation with the Attorney General's office, the development of appropriate guidance that will set out more clearly the rights and responsibilities of non-statutory bodies in relation to watercourses.

An interdepartmental flood policy co-ordination group, established to support the OPW’s CFRAM programme, was reconvened in July 2015. This group is looking at a range of policy issues, including insurance, community resilience, individual property protection, a national flood forecasting and warning service, a review of the planning and development guidelines and, if necessary, voluntary home relocation to ensure that policies that can benefit communities and individuals directly - to be prepared and respond to or live with flood risk - are fully and carefully considered. The report of the group will be finalised for submission to Government shortly, in conjunction with the completion of the draft flood risk management plans.

I think it is clear from the foregoing that a very considerable amount of work is under way by the OPW to address in a comprehensive and sustainable way the problem of flooding and flood risk nationally. It will take time for all of these measures to have effect, but it is important that the right solutions are found and put in place that will provide a lasting protection to those communities affected by flooding.

See this speech in context