Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have been a Minister of State for nearly five years and I have never refused to come into the House to be held accountable on any issue. Topical Issue matters are selected by the Ceann Comhairle, not by me. Any Member who wishes to come to me with a particular concern is welcome to do so. Just before Deputy O'Donoghue spoke, another Deputy came over to me to ask me something. I am surprised that Deputy O'Donoghue would set about making his contribution in the way he did.

I thank him for raising this important matter. At this time of the year, as we approach the winter season, it is opportune that we consider our preparedness as a country to respond to severe weather events such as flooding. I am acutely aware of the impact the recent flooding has had on individual households and communities throughout the State. Since taking up my current position, I have visited a number of areas affected by the recent storms, including Kenmare, the Kilmallock area, Clifden, Dunmanway, Skibbereen, Bantry, Bandon and Rosscarbery. I thank the OPW staff, the staff of the local authorities, including the one in the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's county, the fire services staff and others who assisted in this work.

The Government's framework for major emergency management underpins the co-ordination of responses to all emergencies in Ireland. Through that framework, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is the lead Department with national responsibility for co-ordinating the response to severe weather emergencies, including flooding. Local authorities are designated as the lead agency for response to flooding events within their administrative areas, not the OPW, and for ensuring effective arrangements are put in place to receive and respond to public service weather warnings issued by Met Éireann. 

I recognise the proactive planning of the local authorities, in this case, Limerick City and County Council, in putting in place temporary flood defences and putting response staff on standby in preparation for recent weather events. Its planning and rapid response to flood events helped to mitigate the damage and devastation that was caused. Each local area has its own individual plan in the event of flooding. An Garda Síochána, Civil Defence Ireland and the HSE are also involved and I thank them for their contribution.

In regard to arterial drainage maintenance, the OPW carries out a programme of maintenance on a total of 11,500 km of river channel and approximately 730 km of embankments. These maintenance works relate to arterial drainage schemes completed by the OPW under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995. The purpose of the schemes is to mitigate flooding for agricultural use.

The annual national maintenance programme typically involves some clearance of vegetation and removal of silt build-up. Completed on an average five-yearly cycle, work is carried out on approximately 2,000 km of channel each year.  Maintenance is continuously done on a cyclical basis under the Maigue catchment drainage scheme, including on channels in and around Kilmallock and Ballylanders. In Kilmallock, works were undertaken on the main channel to clear debris from bridges as recently as June 2020. There have also been rock-armouring works undertaken downstream of the town to address bank erosion. In Bresheen, the channel was maintained along its full length in the period from June to August 2019.  I acknowledge the work done by the OPW in this regard.

In the past two months, particularly intense rainfall events have caused serious flooding in the area surrounding Kilmallock and elsewhere. In some of these places, we have seen unprecedented river levels and properties being flooded that were never previously flooded. The flow recorded on the River Loobagh was a record event since records began in 1985. The OPW is now engaged with Limerick City and County Council to explore what works might be feasible under the minor works scheme to mitigate the risk in these areas.  The council has been supported through funding from the OPW under the minor flood mitigation and coastal protection works scheme. Funding of more than €2 million has been approved for 39 local-scale flood protection projects, providing local flooding solutions to 440 properties across Limerick since the scheme began in 2009.

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