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

On behalf of the Office of Public Works, OPW, which does a great deal of work with Wexford County Council on the issue of flooding, I wish to take this opportunity to extend my sympathies and those of the OPW to the family of the late Billy Kinsella, his wife, Rita, and his son, Conor, on his recent passing. He was working in the aftermath of a recent storm. Wexford County Council has worked hand in glove with the OPW during many of the storms that that part of the country has faced.

I thank the Deputy for her question on the much-needed Enniscorthy flood relief scheme. The scheme is being progressed by Wexford County Council on behalf of the OPW under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995. This is a scheme within the OPW's €1.3 billion flood relief investment programme nationally as part of the NDP, from which the relevant funding for the Enniscorthy scheme will be made available. On completion, the scheme will protect 236 properties in the town. 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 budget will be approximately €51 million, including VAT, when other costs such as fees, site investigation works, environmental mitigation, 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 make a number of decisions: make an order confirming the scheme; refuse to confirm the scheme; or refer the scheme back to the Commissioners of the OPW for revision in specified respects.

I will conclude the rest of my reply shortly.

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