Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I share the Deputy’s concerns about how some projects can get stuck in the process. There are five stages, the first of which is the feasibility study and preparation of a flood risk management plan. Stage two is public consultation; while stage three is public exhibition, effectively a planning permission phase which has a statutory timeframe. If it comes through public exhibition stage quickly and with no objections, it will move to detailed design, confirmation and tender stage. I am hopeful the project will progress. It has got over the sticky environmental issues and will continue to progress. It has a budget of €3 million which makes it a sizeable project. We have to take it in its entirety to meet the cost benefit analysis. The Deputy asked why we did not do the walls first and then deal with the pearl mussel up river, but it has to be undertaken as a full scheme to meet the cost benefit analysis. I will keep it on the radar and officials in the Department will continue to liaise with the local authority in that regard.

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