Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Burke for raising this matter and for giving me the opportunity to provide some updated information to the House on our plans for Cork city. I thank Senator Burke for pursuing this matter with me on several other occasions over the past year.

Work on developing a flood relief scheme for Cork city has been underway for some time. The scheme covers the area from Inniscarra dam to downstream of the city on the River Lee and it will also include proposals for Blackpool and Ballyvolane which are affected by tributaries of the River Lee.

The scheme is being progressed under the provisions of the Arterial Drainage Acts. A number of public information days on the scheme have already been held. Under the statutory provisions, a four to six week consultation period will take place through a formal public exhibition which is planned to commence in the third quarter of this year. On a number of days members of the design team will be in attendance to deal directly with members of the public. These events will be widely advertised in the Cork media.

At that stage, the outline design of the proposed scheme will have been completed and will be displayed with full drawings to ascertain the views of the public and other stakeholders. Significant consultation is expected to take place with interested parties at this stage. All submissions made during the exhibition period will be fully considered in the following months and any amendments arising from such submissions will be incorporated, as appropriate, in the detailed design stage of the scheme. It is very important for us to consult with the local business community and the residents so that we implement the correct scheme which will be acceptable to the business-owners and to the residents of Cork.

Subject to the proposed scheme being accepted by the people of Cork and the statutory bodies which will be consulted during the exhibition stage, the detailed design of the scheme will be commenced. During this stage, the procurement of a civil works contractor will also be commenced. Once the detailed design is complete, the scheme will be submitted to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for confirmation as required by the Arterial Drainage Acts. This approval process requires an independent review of the environmental impact statement before the Minister can approve the scheme.

If and when the scheme is confirmed it would be the intention of the OPW to appoint a civil works contractor and to commence construction in mid-2016. Due to the likely scale of the proposed scheme, it is possible that the scheme will be undertaken on a phased basis under a number of contracts. This will be a very significant scheme with commensurate costs and it is anticipated that the works will take at least four to five years to complete.

The scheme is a complex one as it involves the use of a flood warning system and the optimisation of dam discharges so it is hugely important that all the necessary technical analysis is carried out thoroughly before the outline design of the scheme is finished. This work is very detailed and the necessary time must be given to allow it to be completed properly.

The estimated cost of the scheme is currently being assessed in the context of the preparation of a cost-benefit analysis to be completed prior to public exhibition. The Government is, however, committed to providing the necessary funding to carry out the works. I reiterate that funding commitment today.

The Government remains fully committed to the provision of a flood relief scheme for the people of Cork city and the OPW has made provision for the cost of implementing the scheme in its multi-annual budget profiles.