Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I will not read into the record the start of the response because I have done so three times already today. I will skip that and I ask that it be put on the record.

The OPW will reach a series of important milestones in climate adaptation in 2024, such as: continuing the construction of three major schemes at Glashaboy in the Deputy’s constituency, Morell River and Whitechurch; commencing construction on up to five other schemes at King’s Island, Morrison’s Island in Cork, Crossmolina, about which there has been a bit of conversation, the Poddle River and the River Wad; and progressing up to three further schemes towards substantial completion at Athlone, Springfield and Templemore. These schemes will provide protection to over 600 properties.

Outside of these major schemes, as the Deputy knows, local authorities can apply to the Office of Public Works for minor flood mitigation works and the coastal protection scheme. This provides up to 90% of the funding required and, so far, has protected 7,900 properties.

I will outline a county-by-county breakdown of the major flood relief schemes that are currently being progressed. In Cavan, there is a scheme at Cavan town, which is at stage 1. In Clare, there is Kilkee, which is at stage 1; Shannon; and Springfield, which is almost at completion. In Cork, there is Ballinhassig, which is at stage 1; Ballymakeery-Ballyvourney, which is at stage 1; Bantry; the Bride River-Blackpool, about which there has been some conversation in the House; Carrigaline; Glashaboy, which is under construction; the lower Lee, which is an enormous scheme that the Deputy will know; Macroom; Midleton; and Morrison’s Island, which has gone out to tender. In Donegal, there is Ballybofey-Stranorlar; Buncrana; Burnfoot; Castlefinn; Donegal Town; Letterkenny; Lifford; Ramelton; and Raphoe. In Dublin, there is the Dodder; Dublin city; Loughlinstown; Malahide; the Poddle River; Portmarnock; Sandymount, which is at the scoping stage; Skerries; and Whitechurch, which is at stage 4.

I will come back to the other counties in my next contribution.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

A county-by-county breakdown of the major flood relief schemes and small flood relief projects that are currently being progressed is provided in the tables, including the current status or stage of each scheme.  The 12 flood relief schemes that have reached substantial completion since 2018 are also listed.

Table 1.  Major Flood Relief Schemes by County with Scheme Stage.

Table 2. Small Projects by County with Scheme Stage.

Table 3. Substantially Complete Schemes since 2018 by County.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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With regard to those that are currently active, there are 67 major flood schemes and 29 small schemes. These are being led by the local authorities in most cases. There are currently six at construction and these will provide protection for up to 870 properties. We have also initiated a pilot scheme between the Office of Public Works, Donegal County Council and Kilkenny County Council. There was a suggestion that as some of the schemes in tranche 2 are so slow coming out of it, there is a question as to whether they will ever come out of it. We have provided additional resources where that has been deemed necessary, and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will be aware of this in the context of Galway. If a local authority submits a business case to us for additional personnel, whether in regard to hydrology, civil engineering or otherwise, the local authority in most cases has had the application viewed very positively by the Office of Public Works.

I have a fairly substantial table in my response which deals with stages 1 to 4 and others that have not even got off the starting blocks. I will forward that information to the Deputy afterwards.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The opportunity for people to raise these issues on the floor of the Dáil is very important to me and the Office of Public Works. In recent years, we have been at pains to point out that these are not just flood relief schemes, as they were typically called, and they are an adaptation to El Niño and the climate issues that are currently being faced by the world and not only by Glashaboy, Coirib go Cósta and everywhere else. These are schemes designed to withstand 100-year events and have the international standard that goes with that. They are complicated by nature and we have had a lot of over-and-back with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, with regard to the planning applications around some of them. However, those that have been built and delivered have been very successful, and every Deputy is aware of one that has been delivered in their own constituency. The alleviation of the mental trauma for a community when we finally hand over to the local authority for completion is what is worth it at the end of the day. I thank the Deputy and other Deputies for using the opportunity to raise this because it gives me political capital with the Minister to make sure that more can be done.