The flooding in Dublin city and Meath arose from the River Tolka and its tributaries. The Tolka has had a history of carrying significant run-off flows within its watercourse and has flooded frequently, most recently in November 2000. The catchment area of the river falls within the functional area of three local authorities, Meath and Fingal county councils and Dublin City Council. As the lower and middle catchments of the river, and certain concentrated areas within the upper catchment, have witnessed significant increases in land development, the risk of flood damage to property and infrastructure has also increased. There has never been a fully inclusive analysis of the river's behaviour under a full range of potential floods and certainly no investigation of the catchment's response to severe rainfall as it is currently developed and planned to be developed.