John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, who wishes to thank the Senator for the opportunity to inform the House of the current position on the Raphoe pre-feasibility flood study. The Minister of State is pleased to say the study has been completed and identified a number of possible options aimed at addressing the flood problem in Raphoe. As the Senator knows, Donegal County Council considers Raphoe to be one of the most persistent and problematic flood areas in County Donegal. It has flooded repeatedly in the past 30 years but most significantly in September 2006 and June 2007. Following flash flooding on 12 June 2007, numerous homes and businesses sustained damage when the town's drainage system was overwhelmed by rain. The Minister of State understands approximately 50 business and residential premises were affected.

Following this event, the OPW, in conjunction with Donegal County Council, appointed consultants to carry out the pre-feasibility study of the flooding problem in Raphoe. The study was completed in August 2009. In parallel with this study, OPW engineers were in consultation with Donegal County Council and, as a result, a number of short-term measures to alleviate the problem were identified and implemented by the council.

The objective of a pre-feasibility study is to identify the source of the flooding problem and potentially viable flood risk management measures for a given area. In the case of Raphoe, this included the collection and examination of hydrological and hydraulic data, outline flood hazard and risk mapping and, following the identification of potentially suitable flood risk management options, a technical, economic and outline environmental assessment of these potential options.

Raphoe is surrounded to the north and west by steep-sided hills and a small, predominately culverted stream flows in a southerly direction through the town. This stream is a small tributary within the Foyle catchment, draining an area around Raphoe of approximately 2.7 sq. km. The report found that during periods of intense rainfall, water was quickly conveyed onto the road network surrounding Raphoe. The volume of water and the associated high velocities mean that the majority of the run-off water flows unimpeded into central Raphoe along the road network.

The report has also identified a number of potentially suitable flood risk management options that require further detailed elaboration. Towards this end, OPW officials are meeting the council on Friday, 5 February. The next step will be the development of an outline design for the option considered to be the most technically feasible and economically viable.

The Minister of State wishes to assure the House that his officials, in conjunction with the local authority, are at an advanced stage in the identification of appropriate flood relief measures that will alleviate future flooding in the Raphoe area. Once the appropriate measures have been agreed by the OPW and the local authority, the OPW will be available to assist in ensuring these are implemented at the earliest possible date.