Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I very much welcome the opportunity to raise this issue in the Dáil this evening. I thank the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, for his personal attendance and the Ceann Comhairle for allowing us to raise the issue.

We are only in the fourth month of 2013 and already Wicklow commuters have had to endure traffic chaos and road closures on the N11-M11 owing to flooding problems. In fact, parts of this major national roadway have been closed for periods of hours on two occasions already this year. People have had enough. At this stage they are extremely frustrated at the lack of answers and buck passing from one agency or local authority to another. We even saw an example of that from the National Roads Authority on the national airwaves after the most recent flooding.

This is a major road. We are not talking about a small back road that experiences a minor flooding problem. This is a major artery of national infrastructure. The road leads to the capital city in one direction and allows hauliers to travel to Rosslare Port in the other direction. It is an essential route on an almost daily basis for thousands of people commuting to work and going about their business. Equally, in terms of attracting investment into County Wicklow, we cannot afford to have flooding difficulties remain without a solution. Legitimate questions are now being asked by commuters and residents as to whether it is an engineering problem and if there is a design flaw in part of the roadway or whether it is simply a case of a lack of proper maintenance. Whether it is an issue for Wicklow County Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the NRA, or all three, at this stage we need someone to bang heads together and to co-ordinate an approach.

I ask the Minister to bring the various agencies together and ensure that a review, from both an engineering and maintenance perspective, is carried out as soon as possible.

This is not just a County Wicklow issue but is very much a national issue, concerning a road that leads to our capital city. The N11 is a road upon which we are heavily dependent. It is one of the major roadways in the country and the fact that it has been closed twice already this year, due to flooding, is ludicrous.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the fact that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is in the House to respond to the issue raised by Deputy Harris and myself. As Deputy Harris has said, this is the second time this year the N11 has flooded, causing chaos on the road. The problem arose at the point where the M50 meets the N11. This is a major route, classified as a Euro route, E01, running to the ports, and on the north side, joining the M1. This is the major beltway around the country. If such a flooding incident was repeated on the M1 junction with the M50 near the airport, there would be an immediate response to deal with it. It would not be tolerated.

Myself and Deputy Harris are calling for an engineering and maintenance review of this road. I believe there is something fundamentally flawed here because the site in question seems to be in no-man's land. I note that the director of services in Wicklow County Council briefed members yesterday about a multi-agency meeting that took place, involving ten agencies in total, on 9 April at the offices of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. Three issues were discussed, namely, a review of communications, an evaluation of incident roles and responsibilities and flood mitigation measures. The first two are essentially fire brigade or crisis management issues but the third one is about dealing with the problem. We must prioritise dealing with this issue because we can have all of the communications, diversion co-ordination and so forth that we like, including diverting traffic through Bray and causing major traffic problems there, but until we deal with the cause of the problem, we will get nowhere.

It is a simple matter in my opinion, as someone who knows a little about this, of drainage. We must be able to get the water off the road quickly when there is major precipitation. That must be addressed as soon as possible. The responsibility must be given to the National Roads Authority, NRA, or one of the local authorities to carry out the necessary works. I note that a consultative company has been engaged to carry out a study and report back by June of this year, but we need immediate action.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputies Harris and Doyle for raising this issue, which I know is of great concern to the people of Wicklow. The House will by now be familiar with the preamble to debates concerning our national roads network and any plans regarding their future development, but here it is again. I am not passing the buck here but am simply explaining the legal position. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding relating to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority, NRA under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

The NRA has a budget of €318 million for improvement and maintenance works on the national roads network in 2013. Given the current financial position, the priority has to be given to maintenance and repair of roads, and this will remain the position in the coming years. The statutory position is that, within the capital and current budgets set by my Department, the NRA and local authorities, in their capacity as road authorities, are responsible for overseeing the operation of the national road network, including any engineering reviews or maintenance. In this context, section 13 of the Roads Act specifies that, subject to the functions assigned to the NRA in the legislation, the maintenance and construction of all national and regional roads in a county or city is a function of the council of that county or city and I as Minister have no role in such operational issues.

The M11, like all motorways not the subject of a public private partnership, is maintained by the relevant local authority. The location at Old Connaught is at the very southern end of the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council area, bordering on County Wicklow. I understand that flooding first occurred early in the morning of Friday, 22 March due to heavy and persistent overnight rain and as the maintaining authority responsible, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council engineering and other staff attended the site when they became aware of an issue. Pumps and road sweepers were also on site from an early hour. Personnel present on site on Friday, 22 March could clearly see that water was running down the side slopes of the motorway cut. Thus, the motorway drainage system had to drain not just the motorway but also run-off from surrounding housing developments and lands, and clearly it was not capable of doing so.

The section of motorway in question did not have a history of flooding until recent times. Some flooding was experienced in late January of this year. Previous intense rainfall events, such as the October 2011 flooding in Dublin ,did not result in major flooding of the motorway at this location. Subsequent to the January 2013 flooding, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council carried out some remedial work in the area.

I understand that investigations into the flooding are under way and are focusing on two questions. First, what was causing run-off onto the motorway from surrounding developments, when previously this does not appear to have been a problem? Second, is there an issue with the performance of the motorway drainage system? I also understand that a CCTV survey of the motorway drainage system is being undertaken and a series of site surveys are under way to assess the condition of the motorway drainage system and to investigate the performance of the local road and land drainage network to the west of the M11. A final report is expected shortly and I look forward to its recommendations being acted upon.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his comprehensive response and for providing some very useful information for the people of Wicklow. The fact that a CCTV survey is being conducted, along with a number of site visits, with a report expected shortly is both proactive and welcome. As a representative for County Wicklow, I hope to be in this House at some stage in the future obtaining information from the Minister on the timetable for an upgrade of the N11. I am very confident that the upgrade will go ahead but I ask, in that context, that lessons are learned in advance of that work starting. The flooding problems and issues on parts of the roadway should be factored in to the overall upgrade of the road. It is important that when the report is finalised, its recommendations are acted upon and that Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the NRA work together on this.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I also welcome the Minister's response. I referred earlier to the fact that a study is being conducted, with a report expected soon. The CCTV survey of the drainage system should reveal extremely useful information, not least whether there is something impeding the drains. I would have presumed that at the time of their installation, the drainage pipes would have been of a sufficient size to cater for any water flowing from the road itself and from the surrounding hills. The area in question is not excessively hilly. It should be possible to divert water away from the roadway through some mitigation works. I urge the local authorities to take responsibility here. There seems to be an issue here with regard to the location being in no-man's land. I have tried a number of times to have a sign for the local hospital, St. Columcille's, erected at this location. I have been pushed from one local authority to another and on to the NRA when I asked for a sign to be erected at the exit which simply says "Ospidéal/ Hospital". This is part of the problem.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. Investigations are under way and will be completed shortly. Once we know what the problem is, the matter can be dealt with and whatever necessary works can be programmed and carried out.