Results 381-400 of 1,038,477 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Brian Stanley) in 'Committee meetings'

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: I want to develop that point. I know it primarily affected Deputy O'Connor's constituency. We all saw the effects of it on Midleton, Castlemartyr, Whitegate and Mogeely. I want to focus specifically on the interim measures because we are looking at more than a decade before these schemes are brought into being. The OPW says it is working on this in conjunction with the county council, and...

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: The type of work we are looking at across those five towns and villages would include channel widening and removing bridges where the eye is too small.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: I come to the length of time. What caught my eye in the briefing sent to the committee was that the average duration of the scheme development and preliminary design phase is 48 months. I understand what happens when you stop water from flooding one part of a town. In Mountmellick, for example, if you move it from Manor Road, you could finish up with it down in Acragar. There can be...

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: What are other countries doing to shorten the time? That is what I want to know.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: If it is taking 48 months for scheme development and preliminary design, somebody who had a full head of hair at the start of the process would be bald by the time a scheme comes on stream.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: I understand that.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: At what stage is the Mountmellick scheme? Five stages are set out in the briefing. Is it at stage 3, which is detailed design?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: Is that stage 2?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: Seven years on, we are still stuck at stage 1. At the rate this is going, a lot of us will not be around when the project is constructed. It has to go through five stages. The length of time it is taking is leading to an increase in costs but my main concern is the impact every time there is heavy rainfall. Unfortunately, due to climate change, rainfall levels are getting more intense....

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: I know it turned out to be a bigger job than expected. There is a whole area that now requires installation of a flood defence. I know that from talking to somebody in the local authority about it. Is there anything that can be done to advance progress? Deputy Murphy made a helpful suggestion about doing some of the steps in tandem. Surely we can do something to advance the Mountmellick...

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: The design is fairly detailed, involving walls and embankments.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: Can the public exhibition period be shortened to a month? It should be well advertised locally but it does not need to go on for 24 months. The planning process should not take as long as it does. Does the planning application go straight to An Bord Pleanála or does it go to the local authority?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: It will go to the local authority.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: Laois County Council will not take that long to process it.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: We have covered the collateral damage and the costs associated with it. If the town is flooded again, in a more intense way than it was in 2017, we will be looking at huge costs to businesses and householders. An elderly couple had water nearly up to the windowsills of their house on Manor Road. I am thinking of that elderly couple and others whose homes were flooded. Will Mr. Casey come...

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: Deputy Ó Cathasaigh mentioned using natural methods involving flood plains. That may be appropriate but here is potentially an unintended consequence to it. There is a group of houses in Derrycloney, approximately three quarters of a mile from Mountmellick, that may suffer unintended consequences. If the flood plain is used, while it may stop flooding on Manor Road, it might cause...

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: I understand, accept and appreciate that Mountmellick is a very difficult location because it is very flat. We are talking about moving water around. That water will go from one place to another. There is a group of residents in Derrycloney who are very concerned about that at the moment. Where is the OPW at with the Portarlington scheme?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: When are we likely to see completion of the Mountmellick scheme? Will Mr. Casey provide a projection?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: Are we looking at a construction period of two or three years?

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Brian Stanley: We are looking at 2029, realistically, or the end of the decade.