Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad that the Ceann Comhairle thinks of me in that way.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

Historically, flood risk management focused on the arterial drainage of river catchments to improve agricultural land. The maintenance of arterial and drainage district channels, as designated under the Arterial Drainage Act 1945, is the responsibility of the OPW and local authorities, respectively. It includes maintenance by the OPW of the Boyne, Inny and Glyde-and-Dee arterial drainage schemes in County Cavan. In 2018 it included 78 km of river channel maintenance at an estimated cost of €460,000. Owing to nationally increasing urbanisation, the Arterial Drainage Act 1945 was amended in 1995 to facilitate the OPW's implementation of localised flood relief schemes to provide flood protection for cities, towns and villages.

Flood risk management plans were launched in May 2018, following the largest ever study of flood risk in Ireland. The study identified that Government investment was feasible to protect 95% of properties assessed as being at risk from significant flooding through flood relief schemes. Together with this legislative amendment and in line with the Government's 2004 policy on flood risk management, the OPW has no plans for catchment-wide arterial drainage schemes. However, to target the management of flood risk outside cities, towns and villages, in 2009 the OPW introduced the minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding for local authorities to undertake flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. Since 2009, approximately €46.4 million has been approved for in excess of 720 projects throughout the country, which illustrates the scheme's many benefits for communities all over Ireland.

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