Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Burke can be absolutely assured that the OPW will do all it can to expedite and progress the capital flood relief works with minimum delay within the resources available to it. The Senator and I had an opportunity to meet with representatives of the business community when I visited Cork earlier this year. We had a very good engagement and I was left in absolutely no doubt of the importance of the scheme to the people of Cork, the business owners of Cork and the local economy. We are very eager that the scheme be in place. The funding is in place, which is the crucial message I wish to get out today. The Government is fully committed to funding the scheme, and the OPW has included it in its multi-annual budgets.

I have already outlined that the scheme is likely to be phased. It is likely that the Blackpool part of the scheme will be implemented as a separate scheme, even though we may exhibit it along with the Cork city scheme. No decision has been taken on the phased nature of the main city scheme, but it is unlikely to be undertaken in one contract. It will probably be broken into a number of contracts. Ballyvolane will probably be advanced by the local authority with funding from my office under the minor works scheme.

I know this scheme is absolutely vital. I am very eager to ensure that it will get under way as quickly as possible. I want to see the works commence in mid-2016, but I also want to make sure we get the best scheme possible, that we get all the technical analysis right and that there is adequate consultation with the business owners, who, rightly, have very strong views and have done a lot of work on the issue, and with the public. I look forward to the public exhibition getting under way as quickly as possible within the third quarter.