Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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55. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of funding allocated for flood relief schemes; and the amount actually drawn down or spent in each of the past five years and to date in 2024. [17649/24]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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This again relates to flood defences. It is a very serious issue. I was down with Mona Stromsoe, who is the chair of the Midleton flood defence campaign, last Friday. I got to visit the location where floods did enormous damage. The water literally pulled cars out of driveways, knocked walls and did enormous damage. That town is still living with a significant fear of those floods happening again.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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This is based on the question asked by the Deputy. In 2018, to establish those communities that are at risk from significant flood events, the OPW completed the largest study of flood risk ever undertaken by the State, namely, the catchment-based flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme. The programme studied 80% of Ireland’s primary flood risk and identified solutions that can protect more than 95% of that risk. Some 150 additional flood relief schemes were identified through this programme. The Government has committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of these flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the national development plan to 2030 to protect approximately 23,000 properties in communities that are under threat from river and coastal flood risk.

Since 2018, a phased approach to scheme delivery, in partnership with local authorities, has allowed the OPW to treble the number of schemes at design or construction phase at this time to some 100 schemes. Expenditure in the earlier stages of a project represents a small proportion of the overall budget of a flood relief scheme. When schemes reach construction, known as stage 4 of the project, it is at this point in the project lifecycle that the scheme incurs the greatest proportion of expenditure. There is no legislative or regulatory means of fast-tracking schemes to this stage. In the years 2019 to 2023, some €290 million was invested by the OPW in the flood relief programme. To date in 2024, some €7.5 million has been spent. Expenditure trends in past years show that the majority of expenditure is incurred in the fourth quarter of the year and this trend is expected to continue in 2024. I have given a breakdown of the allocation expenditure. If we look at the past two years, the allocation in 2023 was €57.5 million and expenditure €59.2 million. In 2024 we have €82.7 million allocated and €7.5 million spent to date.

It is anticipated a strong pipeline of schemes will increase the number of projects reaching construction by the middle of the decade, thereby notably increasing the programme expenditure from 2025 to 2030. The OPW engages with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform regarding the capital and current funding required under the national development plan and through the annual budgetary process to ensure adequate funding is available to continue to progress the programme of delivery of flood relief schemes.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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I cannot overstate the damage that has been done in Midleton and how this is a threat to human lives. I saw the buildings children were being lifted out of and the flow was so strong people could not stand in those situations, so this is very serious. The Minister mentioned earlier there are things outside of the Government's control and mentioned planning and the courts system. The Government is actually in control of those spaces because it is in control of the employment of planners. Right now there is a serious dearth of planners in county councils. We do not have a date yet in Cork County Council for the planning application for the flood defence in Midleton that was promised in 2016. That is incredible. The reason there is not enough planners is the councils are not paying enough for them and private companies that are paying more are getting them. An Bord Pleanála has 20,000 homes stuck in its system because it does not have the planners to deal with them.

The Minister of State is new in this role, but he might be able to answer this. Cork County Council identified four engineers it was going to assign to look over the job in Midleton. It applied for funding from the OPW and the Minister of State's predecessor refused to fund that. Will the Minister of State reverse that and fund these engineers to ensure this gets built?

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We are way over.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. There is a detailed question submitted by Deputy Stanton, so out of respect for him I will deal with the issue of Midleton in depth-----

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Twice.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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-----when we come to his question. It is out of respect. He put a lot of work into the question and it is something with which I want to deal.

Following on from the comments of my colleague, the Minister, I am in a position to state that there are currently seven flood relief schemes at construction phase. Once completed, they will provide flood protection for nearly 1,800 properties. I refer to the Athlone flood alleviation scheme, the Glashaboy flood relief scheme at Glanmire and Sallybrook, the Morell river management scheme, the Poddle river flood alleviation scheme, the River Mall scheme in Templemore, the Springfield flood relief scheme at Clonlara and the Whitechurch stream flood alleviation scheme. This year alone, we are looking at four key projects: a scheme at Crossmolina, another at King's Island in Limerick, the Morrison's Island river wall and the scheme on the River Poddle, which already commenced construction in 2024. These schemes will provide flood protection to nearly 2,000 properties. The two major flood relief schemes provided-----

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The Minister of State will have a chance to come back in but we are way over time.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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This is characteristic of the Fine Gael part of the Government. It promises a wall and then, when people ask where it is, it says that three blocks of the wall are in place. The people then say they were told they would get a wall but that there is no wall at the moment. The Minister of State mentioned 2,000 homes being protected by flood defences. There was a report in 2021 which stated that 70,000 homes are in danger of flooding, but the Minister of State is offering protection to 2,000 homes in response. The cost of defending those 70,000 homes would be €2 billion. All I am saying is that the level of effort by the Government is miniscule relative to the size of the crisis. The Minister of State blames an inability to solve issues on planning and the courts. The courts system is also glacial. The reason for this is that it does not have the resources necessary and is managed incorrectly. It could be made faster to allow these decisions to get through the process far more quickly. There are lives at risk here. On that basis, I ask the Minister of State to address the Midleton situation in his responses to both questions.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We are way over time. I ask everyone for co-operation. Deputy Conway-Walsh wishes to come in briefly before the Minister of State.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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I wish the Minister of State well in his new job. I am really pleased to hear him talk about the Crossmolina flood relief scheme. He will know that the town of Crossmolina has been waiting for that for almost ten years now. Could he give me an update as to its exact status and when it is going to start?

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I will deal with the latter question first. The Crossmolina scheme is subject to planning consent. I will forward a detailed note on it to the Deputy.

To go back to Deputy Tóibín's question, the CFRAM study on tranche 1 is about protecting 80% of properties. Flooding causes great difficulties for people. I know what it is like. I come from a constituency where there has been a large amount of flooding so I am fully aware. However, it is not fair to say that flood schemes are not being put in place. They are. Would we like to see them in place more quickly? Absolutely. There are issues that must be overcome, however. If you are looking for the negative, you will always find it. It is like looking at a jar to see if it is half-full or half-empty. I feel the Deputy always sees it as half-empty. The Deputy is perfectly entitled to make arguments but it is important that he make balanced ones. He should accept and acknowledge the things that are happening. By all means, he may criticise other aspects but he should do so in a balanced way.