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

I welcome the opportunity to speak. The Office of Public Works was provided with a gross Estimate for 2021 of €511 million, an increase on the 2020 allocation. Just over €127 million of the moneys allocated are to flood risk management and €384 million is for estate management, including heritage, two important areas where the Office of Public Works will continue to deliver for both the public and the Government.

The OPW appreciates that budget 2021 is taking place within one of the most challenging and uncertain environments of our time and welcomes this continued support of Government. There is little doubt that 2021 will be another challenging year but the Office of Public Works will work as diligently as ever in the provision of critical services, including flood relief and estate management.

One of the most important priorities for the Government is climate change. Climate change will ultimately lead to much greater impacts from flooding. The Office of Public Works continues to lead on the implementation of the Government's flood risk policy for mitigating against the effect of flooding. In doing so, the OPW utilises many different responses, including infrastructure, drainage, planning and ongoing research, to ensure a comprehensive approach to the non-static nature of floods and the effects of climate change.

The 2021 allocation provides the OPW with the continued ability to carry out major flood relief works, consisting of 150 projects, 118 of which represent projects arising out of the catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, study and associated flood risk management plans. The OPW will work and assist in achieving long-term sustainability in the area of flood risk management and as such will require continued Government support in the coming years.

The 2021 funding for estate management will continue to support the management, development, preservation and conservation of the State's significant property portfolio under the OPW. While 2021 will present a changed working environment due to Covid-19 measures and changing business requirements of Government and their respective Departments, the OPW will continue to enhance its delivery of an efficient, fit-for-purpose and sustainable estate with funds received in the 2021 Estimates. In the coming years, further investment will be required to address the age and condition of many of our diverse properties and the associated costs in bringing such properties up to the required statutory standards while ensuring optimal use and value for money.

The OPW heritage sites and parks are proving to be of great importance to the State, particularly now, in providing our citizens with recreation outlets during the current pandemic. The dedicated and skilled work of the OPW on the conservation and preservation of our heritage should be commended by all. The OPW aims to deliver upgraded amenities for the public visiting heritage sites during 2021.

In addition to moneys provided under our Vote, the OPW also provides many services and works in collaboration and partnership with other public bodies in the delivery of Government objectives, including those outlined in the programme for Government, Our Shared Future, and the national development plan. For example, yesterday's budget provided for continued preparations for Brexit. The OPW has played a pivotal role in Ireland's readiness for Brexit. It was tasked by Government to plan, prepare and implement works to ensure that sufficient infrastructure is in place at ports and airports to cater for any increase in official checks and controls on trade. The OPW is carrying out this work on an agency basis for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Health Service Executive and the Revenue Commissioners. A considerable amount of work has been completed by the OPW in preparing the required infrastructure at Dublin Port, Dublin Airport and Rosslare Europort, and this will be further progressed in 2021.

Looking at key economic measures for 2021, the work of the OPW not only contributes to developing and modernising the State's infrastructure and estate but also stimulates growth in the market. The OPW carries out large, medium and small-scale capital and maintenance works in all regions of the country. Small-scale capital works and maintenance are especially labour intensive and make a valued contribution to local employment and development, which in turn stimulates the local economy. The nature of this activity is also very flexible in scaling up and down quickly in response to environmental and budgetary conditions. The OPW has a pipeline of construction projects in place with varying lead-in times, allowing for maximum flexibility in accelerating investment. Some of this work is prioritised to commence in 2021.

Before I finish, I pay tribute to the work of the staff of the Office of Public Works, especially our outdoor staff, in an extremely difficult summer. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle's constituency was not exempted from it. We had a significant number of serious flooding events throughout the summer, no doubt as a result of the change in the climate. I pay tribute to the outdoor staff of the OPW, in conjunction with the outdoor staff of local authorities, fire and rescue services, and all others who assisted in a voluntary capacity. It is, unfortunately, becoming more of an issue and I would like to return to the matter in the House during the year.

There are a number of specific issues in the budget, ranging from local issues such as investment in Shannon Airport to supports for the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, of €80 million, the well-heralded supports for tourism and infrastructure, the Covid supports that businesses badly need, which will be available from the Revenue Commissioners, as well as a number of other initiatives that I welcome as a Deputy for my constituency.

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