Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

94. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has now received an up-to-date environmental impact study in respect of the Blackpool flood relief scheme; the timeframe for when the public consultation will occur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16513/25]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

This question is related to Questions Nos. 102 and 103. I wish the Minister of State well in his new role in the Department of public expenditure. My question relates to the Blackpool flood relief scheme, which was initiated in 2013. In the past 12 years, little or no progress has been made on the matter. Has the Department received the up-to-date environmental impact study in respect of the Blackpool flood relief scheme? What is the timeframe for when the public consultation will occur?

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The River Bride flood relief scheme in Blackpool was initiated in 2013 following a major flood that occurred in 2012 and is expected to provide protection from the River Bride for some 290 residential and commercial properties. The Blackpool area has an extensive history of flooding, with at least 15 flood events occurring since 1974, including recent flood events arising from storms such as Storm Babet. The proposed scheme design includes conveyance improvements, flood defence embankments, walls and pumping stations and has an estimated budget of €20.5 million.

In 2018, the scheme design was submitted to the former Minister for public expenditure for statutory confirmation under the Arterial Drainage Act 1945, as amended, and ministerial confirmation was granted in 2021. In June 2021, this decision was challenged by a community group that was granted leave to apply for a judicial review of the decision. The Minister agreed to consent to an order reverting the evaluation of the Blackpool flood relief scheme back for further public consultation. This resulted in further information being requested from the OPW in support of the request for consent under the Arterial Drainage Act 1945.

The OPW provided a response to this request in October 2022. In November 2023, a further request was made to the OPW to provide supplementary environmental information that required some additional environmental surveys. In line with seasonal restrictions, these surveys were conducted throughout 2024. Additionally, the OPW has recently received and is reviewing a draft update to the environmental impact assessment report, EIAR, which was prepared by the OPW’s consultant. This report was updated to take account of relevant surveys, including field surveys, invasive species surveys, mammal surveys, bat surveys, fisheries surveys, otter surveys and ecological surveys. Supplementary information and an updated EIAR will be submitted to the Minister for public expenditure.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply but I am getting no answer to the question I raised. I asked when the Minister of State expected to have the environmental impact study back. When will we have a public consultation? When can we move on with this project? It is 12 years on and we have not made one single step forward on this project. I am frustrated. The fact is the OPW submitted the design to the Department of public expenditure in 2018. It took until 2021 for a decision to be made. There was then a judicial review. An environmental impact study was submitted in 2022. By the time the Department dealt with it in 2023, that environmental impact study was then out of date as a result of the report sitting on someone's desk for 12 months. I do not want that to happen again. As the Minister of State outlined, there are more than 290 properties, which cannot be sold at the moment and where people cannot borrow money to redevelop them. As a result, no development has occurred in that area over the past 13 or 14 years.

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I understand the Deputy's frustration and that of the people he represents in his constituency. However, once the judicial review came in, that also delayed the process. We have to carry out the environmental assessment. It is very important we do so. If we do not and it is challenged again, the Deputy will be the very one standing up to challenge me on why the proper procedures were not carried out.

I am doing everything in my power to bring this to a conclusion. It is with the Department at present. As soon as we get it out there, I will progress the scheme.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Can we get a timeframe for when the study will come from the OPW to the Department of public expenditure? When will we have a consultation? Have we a guideline? Will it be in three, six or 12 months' time? I fully understand the Department has to be extremely careful because it was a judicial review. However, we now have a situation where an area on the northside of the city is totally at a standstill. People cannot even get money to refurbish many old properties because the banks will not give out money where they cannot get insurance for flood relief. When there was flooding there previously, a lot of damage was caused to properties, so the financial institutions will not risk giving out money again. If people want to sell a property, they are at standstill. I know of a number of sales that collapsed because the people buying who were borrowing money could not get insurance and the banks said they were not prepared to give them the loans they required.

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Any public consultation on the supplementary information to be provided by the Office of Public Works will be a matter for the Minister for public expenditure, infrastructure, public service reform and digitalisation. The Office of Public Works will continue to engage with that Department, as appropriate, to further progress the scheme.

It is with the Department and as soon as it comes out - I do not want to be long-winded but I have to wait for that process to take place - I will revert to the Deputy. I will do my best to progress the scheme in the near future.