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

I thank Deputy Dillon for raising this issue again. In October 2020, the Office of Public Works, OPW, submitted the documentation for confirmation for the Crossmolina flood relief scheme to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, under the Arterial Drainage Act 1945, as amended. As part of this process, the Department sought and the OPW provided it with supplementary information in July 2021. The Department advised that a further public consultation would be appropriate, to include this supplementary information, and, as the Deputy will be aware, this public consultation was held between 6 May and 1 July 2022.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has engaged consultants to examine the OPW confirmation documentation and the submissions received under the public consultation process. This work is ongoing. Upon completion of this work, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform will take into account all relevant information when deciding on whether to confirm the scheme in accordance with section 7E(1) of the amended Act.

The OPW remains committed to this scheme and has allocated funding and scheduled staffing resources to progress it subject to ministerial confirmation. The total budget for the scheme is currently estimated at approximately €15 million, with a construction time of four years. Under the OPW minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme, €371,000 has been allocated to Mayo County Council in recent years to help manage the flood risk pending the scheme's delivery. This includes protection measures for up to 100 properties in the town of Crossmolina.

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