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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 100, 102 and 115 together. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue for the people of Clifden and those living along the Owenglin River.

I can confirm that a potential flood relief scheme was recommended for Clifden as part of the national flood risk management plan published in 2018, from which 119 new projects nationwide are to be progressed under the national development plan. Following the launch of the plan, the Office of Public Works, OPW, confirmed to Galway County Council that it would fund the cost of developing and implementing a scheme for the town which has an initial cost estimate of more than €500,000. I am advised that both Galway County Council and the OPW have been working on a design brief for the project.  I am pleased to confirm that the council intends to go to tender shortly for consultants to further develop the scheme for the town.

I visited Clifden in the immediate aftermath of the flooding there in early September and I met residents and business people who were directly affected by the unprecedented event, including residents of the Clifden Glen estate who were evacuated from their homes. I witnessed at first hand the damage to the town and to properties in the Riverside and Low Road areas.  The data collected from that recent flood event will inform the design of a future scheme.

Although it is not possible for me to confirm at this stage when flood relief works will be carried out, I can assure the House that both the council and OPW are committed to ensuring that progress will be made as quickly as possible to bring forward a flood relief scheme for the town in order to prevent a similar flooding event occurring.

The Deputy referred to the possibility of developing an early flood warning system for the town in one of her questions. The development of an early warning system will be a matter for consideration for the consultants designing the scheme. However, I am advised that, in this instance, it would be technically challenging to design such a system due to the small, steep nature of the river catchment and the localised nature of the rainfall. These factors result in very rapid onset of extreme flows, which means there is very little warning time of an impending flood, as witnessed last September. The OPW has advised that there is already one hydrometric gauge in operation on the Owenglin river. While it is envisaged that additional hydrometric river gauges may need be installed on the river, the necessity and location of such gauges, if required, will be identified by the consultants designing the scheme.

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