Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter, on which she has been working for quite a few years at this stage. I hear, and share, her frustration that this is going on so long. Only a few weeks after taking up this role, I had the opportunity to meet with a number of residents in the area and I know the grave difficulties they have experienced and their continual fear of future problems. It is frustrating because, as far back as 2009 - in light of a flood event in November that year - a joint working group of representatives from the OPW and Galway County Council was established to examine flooding problems in the Galway area. In addition, a study was commissioned by my office at that stage to identify additional practical measures that could be found to address flooding on the Dunkellin river and in its catchment area. Consulting engineers produced a report identifying a flood relief for the area. I accept and share the Senator's frustration that this has been going on for a very long time and I am very conscious of the damage and harm caused to people and their homes and businesses by severe flooding.

The Office of Public Works is committed to addressing, in an effective way, all significant flood risk throughout the country and has agreed to fund a programme of flood alleviation works for the Dunkellin river from Craughwell to Kilcolgan and for the Aggard stream and its tributaries up to Cregaclare. Galway County Council is the contracting authority with overall responsibility for the flood relief scheme. The council appointed the engineering and environmental consultants needed to complete the design of the scheme and to attain the necessary statutory permissions for it. Galway County Council is progressing the scheme through An Bord Pleanála under the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act. A particular feature of the proposed scheme is that, having regard to its location, there are a number of environmental considerations associated with the proposed works which have had to be examined carefully and sensitively.

Works proposed under the Dunkellin river and Aggard stream flood relief scheme can be divided into two distinct channels, namely, the Dunkellin or Craughwell river from upstream of Craughwell village to the N18 at Kilcolgan, and the Aggard stream and Monksfield river from Cregaclare, near Ardrahan, to its outfall at the confluence of the Dunkellin and Craughwell rivers. Works on the Dunkellin river will consist of channel-deepening from Craughwell village to the confluence with the Aggard stream, local channel widening at Rinn Bridge and out-of-channel maintenance from downstream of Rahasane turlough, to Rinn Bridge. The proposed works for the Aggard stream are minor in nature and will be limited to the replacement of field wall crossings and culverts which are blocked or undersized or which have collapsed, together with the removal of fallen trees and minor obstructions in the channel. Maintenance works on the Aggard stream will include the non-invasive trimming of bank-side vegetation and the removal of areas of accumulated silt along the full length of the channel. Galway County Council and their consultants finalised the environmental impact statement and Natura impact statement for the scheme in October 2014.

The scheme was submitted to An Bord Pleanála for consideration in November 2014 for planning approval in line with section 175 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. A number of submissions from interested parties were received by An Bord Pleanála in respect of the proposals and the board issued a request for further information to Galway County Council on 2 March 2015. The council requested an extension of time in which to respond to the board's request and the period for response was extended to 10 July 2015. In light of the significant additional data submitted by Galway County Council, An Bord Pleanála requested that both the statutory authorities that were advised of the planning application and the general public be made aware of the additional information and that further submissions or observations could be made to the board within a specific timeframe. As Senator Higgins will be aware, an oral hearing on the proposed scheme commenced on Tuesday, 27 October 2015. The hearing concluded on Tuesday, 3 November 2015 and An Bord Pleanála has indicated that it would be making a decision on the application as expeditiously as possible. I certainly hope that is the case.

I fully acknowledge that bringing forward the proposals for the Dunkellin scheme has taken considerable time and that people affected by the flooding in the area are very anxious that works commence as soon as possible. Galway County Council has been working as diligently as possible to advance the proposed scheme, while having regard to the environmental complexities and sensitivities involved. We must wait for An Bord Pleanála to issue its determination on the proposals but, subject to this, I assure the Senator that the Government remains fully committed to the provision of a flood relief scheme for the Dunkellin river and Aggard stream. We want to see this project under way as quickly as possible. As soon as the board make a decision, and should that decision be favourable, we will get on with it as quickly as possible. Crucially, in terms of funding, the OPW has made provision for the cost of implementing the scheme in its multi-annual budget profiles into the future. The funding is in place as is the commitment from Government, the council and the OPW. We just need the board to make its decision.