Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important matter for debate. Major flood events have taken place in Ennis over the years but particularly in 1989, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2004 and 2009. In fairness to successive Governments, they have made serious investments to mitigate against the potential for Ennis town centre to flood. In this regard, I welcome the completion of phases 1 and 2 of the Ennis flood relief scheme. Without the successful implementation of a flood relief plan for Ennis, there is little doubt but that further serious flood events would have had disastrous outcomes for local residents and business owners.

The matter I raise today is the third and last substantial element of alleviation works required for Ennis. It is known as the Ennis south flood relief scheme. Few will forget the scene of flood waters pouring over the boundary wall at St. Flannan's College in late November 2009. Householders in housing estates off the Clare Road, at Clonroadmore, at Tobarteascáin, on the Kildysart Road, and in the Ballybeg area of Clarecastle had their homes invaded by floodwaters, with devastating consequences.

The scheme involves the construction of two flood overflow culverts from the stream at St. Flannan's and the stream at Ballybeg to the River Fergus, together with the upgrading of the existing flood defence embankments between the Quin Road and Clarecastle tidal barrage, including rehabilitation, construction of sluices and the upgrading the existing back drainage system. The St. Flannan's and Ballybeg streams continue to pose serious flood risks to householders in both Ennis and Clarecastle. Each winter these streams are overwhelmed with water and at times of heavy rainfall, flooding is caused to houses and public roads.

In the absence of the Ennis south flood relief scheme, much credit is owed to the outsourced staff of Clare County Council who battle against the elements with pumps to keep houses and public roads free of water. However, this is unsustainable and a massive drain on resources. A permanent solution is required, namely, the provision of the Ennis south flood relief scheme. Householders, business owners and the school community at St. Flannan's have waited patiently since 2009 for this problem to be finally tackled. It is for this reason that the Minister of State's visit to Ennis on 27 February 2018 was very welcome. He was the bearer of good news. A package of €8.6 million was supposed to be in place to enable the scheme to finally move to construction. To put it mildly, it is deeply disturbing and highly concerning that the scheme has been delayed yet again. All the delays mean the scheme will cost more and more. An additional charge will be placed on the taxpayer. All the time, the residents, business people and school authorities at St. Flannan's are left without proper flood protection measures, and they cannot get full flood insurance.

Today I am asking the Minister of State to put on the record of the Dáil, in clear language, the reason for the delay. The very people who are depending on the scheme, many of whom I have been speaking to over the past week, are really concerned. They actually feel misled because last February they were left with the clear impression that the scheme was moving forward this month. I want the Minister of State to inform the House which body is responsible for the delay. Is it Clare County Council or the Office of Public Works, OPW? Who will take responsibility?

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The OPW remains committed to funding the Ennis south flood relief scheme. As the Deputy will appreciate, as with all public finance projects, it is essential that cost and value for money be assessed closely.

An issue arose in regard to the preferred tender for the project and it did not prove possible to resolve this satisfactorily. As a result, the preferred tenderer withdrew his tender and, on foot of legal and other advice, Clare County Council, decided to re-tender the project. The circumstances giving rise to this situation could not have been foreseen and were dealt with by Clare County Council in an appropriate manner. I am pleased to say work on the re-tender process is under way, and I have been informed that the new tender competition should be ready for advertising on the Official Journal of the European Union website in late July or early August. This project is very important to me, as Minister of State, and to the Office of Public Works. We will continue to work with and offer every assistance to Clare County Council to ensure the work commences as soon as possible.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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The time for false starts is long over. Will Deputy Moran, as Minister of State responsible for this area, publish a definitive timeline for the project, outlining all the various works that need to be completed before the scheme can move to construction? It is simply not good enough to say the relevant information will be published on a website in the next couple of months and that the project will proceed to construction in the spring. We need a clear understanding. All the stakeholders need to know the number of phases in the project, how long it will take and when construction will definitely happen. We need absolute clarity and certainty for the people of Ennis.

There have been so many false starts. The time for false starts is clearly over. I do not doubt the commitment of the Minister of State to the project and I welcome his comments today but we need clarity. Everyone needs to buy into the timeline. Will the Minister of State publish in very clear language a timeline that the stakeholders can buy into and understand?

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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Over recent months, since I became Minister of State I have done a lot of work with Clare County Council on developing the scheme the Deputy talked about. As I said at the outset, what happened was unforeseen. One could not have predicted it. This happens all the time with contracts. What I am saying to the Deputy today is that we have moved beyond him standing up asking for a definite timeline. We are now ready to advertise and re-tender in late July or early August. I do not know of any other scheme around the country on which I am working that has moved fast enough to do what I am doing in regard to the scheme in Ennis. I am very much committed. I have been in Clare. I met the chief executive officer of Clare County Council and everybody. The authorities in Clare are driving the scheme; I am funding it. I have committed the funding. If it needs more money, I will be committed in that regard also. I do not and will not accept that I am not doing my job. I am delivering exactly as I promised. When the circumstances arose, I dealt with them in the fast, appropriate manner that anyone else in my position would have to deal with them. Deputy Carey should trust me when I say to him that I have dealt with this speedily. I am very pleased to say the people are not waiting on something that will be going back to tender next year. I can informed the House of a re-tendering process today, and I am happy with that.