Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I hope Enniscorthy did not flood in the last day or two during Storm Barra. We have experienced flooding far too often, especially due to the various climate challenges we face.

I thank the Deputy for her question in regard to the much-needed Enniscorthy flood relief scheme.

The Enniscorthy, River Slaney, flood defence scheme is being proposed by Wexford County Council, on behalf of the Office of Public Works, as a scheme under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995. This is a significant scheme within the €1.3 billion flood relief investment programme of the Office of Public Works nationally, as part of the national development plan from 2018 to 2030, from which the relevant funding for the Enniscorthy scheme will be made available. On completion, the scheme will protect 236 properties in the town, as the Deputy has mentioned.

The proposed scheme includes river channel widening, river deepening, bridge relocation and the construction of extensive glass panelled flood walls through the town. The estimated total project budget will be approximately €51 million when other costs such as fees, site investigation works, environmental mitigation, VAT, property-landowner compensation and future maintenance costs are taken into consideration.

The scheme is going through the confirmation process under the Arterial Drainage Acts, following submission to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for assessment in mid-2020. It is important to note that under section 7E of the European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Arterial Drainage) Regulations 2019, the Minister can "(a) make an order confirming the scheme; (b) refuse to confirm the scheme; or (c) refer the scheme back to the Commissioners for revision in specified respects".

There is a statutory obligation incumbent upon the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to ensure that all aspects of complex legal and environmental compliance issues are satisfactorily resolved before a decision can be made on the Enniscorthy scheme, on the basis of the options available to him. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is currently awaiting finalised reports and recommendations from the expert environmental consultants on this matter before making a determination. A decision on the Enniscorthy flood relief scheme, as per the three options available to the Minister, will be made at the earliest possible opportunity.

As for the question posed by the Deputy, subject to ministerial confirmation it is hoped that construction will commence in 2022 with an estimated construction period in excess of three years. Another question is whether the funding is secured. The OPW has made provision for the full scheme costs in its multi-annual budget projects and remains committed to progression of the project. In terms of the land acquisition, the vast majority of works will be completed on lands owned by Wexford County Council. Other landowners impacted by the scheme have been consulted and are fully aware of access or purchase elements that may affect their properties. There are no major obstacles expected in this regard.

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