Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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48. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated cost of the revised Coirib go Cósta flood relief scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14382/24]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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My question is very specific and relates to the estimated cost of the revised Coirib go Cósta flood relief scheme. Will the Minister of State make a statement on the matter?

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme was the largest study of flood risk in the country, studying the flood risk for two thirds of the population. Following this CFRAM assessment and the proposal of options, Galway City Council appointed consultant engineers in November 2020 to design a detail option to protect the city from a significant flood event in the future.

During this time, it has become apparent the scale of flooding risk in Galway city is greater than suggested in the strategic CFRAM study. The process of redefining the scope for the Coirib go Cósta - Galway City Flood Relief Scheme, which is at stage 1, scheme development and preliminary design, has taken longer than first envisaged due to the need to complete some coastal assessments that did not form part of the CFRAM programme, and the complexity and increase in the scale of the scheme, identified by the assessment of hydrology and hydraulic modelling for the city. A draft revised scope reflecting additional works for the scheme has been presented by the scheme’s consultants to Galway City Council, which is the lead authority for the scheme. To give context to the increase in the scale of the programme, the scheme was originally to protect 312 properties, whereas today the scheme is being designed to protect 940 properties, or three times more.

Until such time as an option for the detailed design for the Galway city scheme is available, there is no evidence or information that can support any accurate assessment of possible costs and budgets for this scheme. The CFRAM programme had estimated a total project budget of €9.5 million. However, given that the scale of the project and required defences are far greater and will protect more than three times as many properties, the best estimated cost for this scheme at this time is in the region of €50 million. The Government is committed to the design and completion of a flood relief scheme for Galway city and is committed to funding this scheme, once a viable scheme has been identified, through the national development plan, which has allocated €1.3 billion for flood relief measures.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I missed what the Minister of State said about the total cost.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I said €50 million.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Was it €15 million or €50 million?

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I will reread my prepared statement to be precise. I referred to the scale of the project and the fact the required defences are far greater, given we are now dealing with 940 properties rather than 312. I also mentioned hydrology, the further tests that are required regarding the impact of waves and the fact the scheme will protect more than three times as many properties. The best estimated cost for the scheme at this time is in the region of €50 million.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The figure has increased, therefore, from €9.5 million to €50 million. Those 940 properties include the area in which I live, Claddagh, but also a lot of other areas such as Long Walk, Spanish Arch and the Eglington Canal. As long as I have been asking this question for the past two or three years, those projects have all been included. The Minister of State's predecessor, Deputy O'Donovan, who was very au fait with this, as I am sure the Minister of State will soon be as well, expressed frustration at the lack of progress on the scheme. There have been five different phases and we are at stage 1, the options assessment. Construction in Galway was to start in 2026. Now, not even a planning application will be put in until 2027. We are flooded practically every year. I cannot understand what the delay is. It has been more than three years. I was a member of the council when the CFRAM maps were being created. That process started in 2012, and we knew then that it was not being planned for properly.

I am out of time, so I will follow up in a moment.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will appreciate I have just come into my brief, but I have made myself familiar with the scheme. As she will know from my previous role, I am all about process. To give an update, the revised scope has been reviewed by the Coirib go Cósta steering group members and agreement has been reached on the revised scope, subject to agreement on a fee proposal with the consultants. Galway City Council is currently liaising with the consultants on its fee proposal, and once it has been agreed, the project programme can be finalised. It is the intention of the project steering group to publish an updated project programme to the project website shortly thereafter.

I will follow up on this. I note the Deputy's concern about progressing the scheme and I am committed to addressing the representations she is making.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The process started in 2012, and when I left the council in 2016, it was finishing the process of identifying the flood risks. We are now in 2024 and all the stages have gone by the board. Instead of construction starting in 2026, a planning application is now going to be submitted in 2027. I do not think the Minister of State could be happy with that, given Galway city is flooded practically every year, without exaggeration. My office is in that area, so I have a particular interest, even though it is only an office, which is nothing compared with what the homes are suffering. Every year, there is a cost to the Exchequer, not to mention the damage to the homes, problems with insurance and everything else. I have no idea what is going on and I do not think the steering group does either. The website has not been updated. Different targets have been given but none of them has been met. All I am told is there is complexity. I live in Galway, opposite Galway Bay, so I know how complex it is, but the steering group knew that from day one. It has either misjudged everything, therefore, or there is some incompetence somewhere along the line. Something is wrong somewhere in this scenario.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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My role as Minister of State is to progress the scheme as I have taken it over. In terms of process, the revised scope to deal with the 940 properties is being reviewed by the steering group and agreement has been reached. It is now agreeing the fee proposal with the consultants, Arup, and once that has been agreed, the steering group will publish the updated project programme on the website, which will happen shortly. I am committed to following up on this to ensure it will happen as quickly as possible.