Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Martin Mansergh, to the House.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Will Deputy Connaughton be joining us on this issue?

Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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I am told he will join us. I had nothing to do with these matters being taken together. That was decided by the Ceann Comhairle's office. There is a connection between both issues in that the flooding in Galway is along the Dunkellin River and in Templemore it is primarily on the Dunkellin Road out of Templemore. The Minister of State will be familiar with the scheme and all the consequences of and damage caused by the flooding. The situation in Templemore has become intolerable over the past number of years and the people of the town and surrounding areas are anxious to know what is happening.

I will not go into the usual details in terms of the effects of the flooding on house insurance and so on. It is important this project, which has been investigated by the Office of Public Works and has undergone public consultation and amendment is commenced. I am seeking an assurance from the Minister of State that this scheme will go ahead and that funding in this regard will be made available. I would also like if he could outline when he anticipates the scheme will commence, to give a categoric assurance that the necessary funding for it to commence and be completed is available and to provide me with a timeframe involved in this regard.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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My apologies, a Cheann Comhairle.

Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is slowing down.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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I know the Dunkellin River well.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Perhaps the Minister of State will outline the up to date position in respect of the Dunkellin River. The Minister of State gave a commitment a few months ago that the report would be published in June. However, this has not happened. As I am out of breath, I will leave it at that.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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It is not too often Deputy Connaughton is stuck for words.

Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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I hope the Minister of State's reply will not be as brief.

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputies Coonan and Connaughton for raising this matter and for the exceptional brevity of their contributions. I will not be brief in return but will try to give full replies to each issue.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss this evening the matters tabled by Deputies Coonan and Connaughton in regard to the flooding problems at Templemore, County Tipperary, and along the Dunkellin River, County Galway.

The town of Templemore lies on the River Mall and has a long history of flooding, with a number of flood events having been reported over the past 150 years. The most significant floods during the past 50 years occurred in December 1968 and, more recently, in November 2000 when approximately 40 properties were inundated. Following requests to address the flooding problem in Templemore, the Office of Public Works, OPW, undertook a pre-feasibilitv study, which was completed in 2003. The report concluded that a flood relief scheme was technically possible and economically viable. Following discussions at the steering group with Templemore Town Council and North Tipperary County Council, it was agreed to undertake a full feasibility study and environmental impact statement. The feasibility study led to the outline design of a proposed scheme being completed, which would provide the standard level flood protection against a flood event with a 1% annual probability of occurring, commonly known as the 100-year event.

The proposed scheme works include the construction of new walls and embankments, remedial works to existing walls, construction of a bypass culvert and some channel-widening downstream of the town. The proposals were placed on formal public exhibition, which I launched in January and February of 2009. Since that time, OPW has been dealing with issues raised through observations received during the exhibition process while also undertaking complex site investigations. A ground survey is complete and tendering for the main site investigation contract is to commence shortly. These investigations are expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter of the year.

Subject to resolution of all remaining post-exhibition matters and the successful completion of the site investigations, the scheme will be forwarded by year end to the Minister for Finance for confirmation, as required under the arterial drainage Acts, allowing construction of the scheme to commence early in 2011. I assure the Deputies that have I seen engineering works plans for the next two or three years, on which Templemore is listed. As long as I remain in this office, I will ensure this work is carried out.

Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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If that is the case, I have no wish to see the Minister of State out of office. People in the town are concerned that this is affecting planning at town centre level. The planning authorities, in particular An Bord Pleanála, are asking what impact development in the centre of the town of Templemore will have on the flood plain. We cannot allow development in the town centre to be stalled or delayed. It is important the street scape and buildings are protected. One particular development appears to have been held up because of this, which is worrying. I welcome what the Minister of State said this evening.

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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It is firmly on track but as with all ambitious scheme it had to go through a full process of exhibition, observation, planning and so on. All of this is proceeding smoothly and the scheme should be commenced early next year.

Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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I can assure the Minister of State that whomever from this side replaces him in office will ensure the work continues.

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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These schemes rely on close co-operation between the local community and, in particular, the local authorities and Office of Public Works. Progress is often delayed, as happened in Clonmel, when disagreement arises. I have no sense that those sort of problems will arise in Templemore.

Many parts of County Galway suffered severe damage and hardship during the extreme weather event of November 2009, including areas along the Dunkellin River and Aggard Stream where 20 houses flooded. Many roads also became impassable and large areas of land were inundated. Less severe flood events occurred in the area in 1995 and 2005. Arising from these events, the OPW prepared proposals for works to relieve flooding caused by the Aggard Stream which flows into the Dunkellin River, together with minor works to the Dunkellin River. These proposals did not proceed as it was not possible to secure the agreement of property owners in the area.

Following the November 2009 flooding, the Office of Public Works commissioned Tobin Consulting Engineers to carry out a study to identify practical flood mitigation measures having regard to the unprecedented flooding at that time. The report of the study has now been completed and identifies a preferred mitigation scheme. The extent of the works identified under the preferred scheme can be summarised as follows. First, in respect of the Dunkellin River the proposals comprise channel widening and cleaning with localised deepening as identified along sections of the river from the sea outfall at Kilcolgan to east of Craughwell Village, excluding the Rahasane Turlough; replacement of the Killeely Beg Bridge; removal of the old N6 bridge at Craughwell and its replacement with a pedestrian foot bridge; installation of additional flood relief capacity at Dunkellin and Rinn Bridges; deepening of channel bed from downstream of the railway bridge to the N6 bridge at Craughwell and underpinning abutments at the railway bridge and N6 bridge; maintenance of the existing bypass channel and connection to the main channel at Craughwell. The works that are proposed as regards the Aggard stream are channel maintenance and improvement works along the stream, the Monksfield river and the Cregaclare river; and the replacement of 14 field accommodation culverts with larger capacity culverts.

This report was considered by the joint flood relief working group of the OPW and Galway County Council at its meeting on Monday, 28 June 2010. The group has endorsed the findings and recommendations of the report, including the proposed works I have outlined. The joint working group submitted its conclusions and recommendations today. I hope to be in a position to respond to them shortly. The report will be posted on the OPW website, www.opw.ie, early next week. The joint working group envisages that if its recommendations are accepted, the planning process for the Dunkellin river scheme will be initiated without delay. This will include, inter alia, carrying out an appropriate assessment in accordance with Article 6(3) of the habitats directive and an environmental impact assessment as required. Subject to the satisfactory and timely completion of the planning process, the working group foresees that the main scheme may commence in the summer of 2011 with completion in 2012.

In view of the nature of the works on the Aggard stream element of the scheme, and having regard to the fact that proposals for mitigation works for the Cregaclare scheme were put on public exhibition by the Office of Public Works in 2002, the joint working group considers that it might be feasible to commence these works in advance of the main scheme, if there are no significant local objections to proceeding in this way. The joint working group proposes that the works will be carried out by the Office of Public Works on behalf of Galway County Council under the council's powers. I assure residents of the Templemore and Dunkellin areas of my commitment and that of the Government to providing the necessary resources to implement the necessary flood relief proposals as soon as is practicable.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I assume the money will be available.

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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Yes. I am pleased to say the sorts of resources that have been deployed this year will be continued in the 2011 and 2012 outline budgets for flood relief and maintenance.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Do all the plans have to be put on public display?

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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They will be available on the website. I said in my response that some works may commence in advance of the scheme-----

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I heard that.

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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-----if there are no significant local objections. This report will be available on the website early next week. It takes a little time to put complicated maps on the Internet.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State.