Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 220: To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to clean, drain or upgrade various rivers or waterways throughout the country with a view to alleviation of ongoing flooding; the number and location of such schemes that have been undertaken in the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42891/06]

Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)
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The Office of Public Works has a programme of flood relief schemes, which are at different stages of development and which are designed to alleviate flooding in specific, mainly urban, locations. The details of this programme are as follows:

River Suir (Clonmel) Drainage Schemes

Munster Blackwater (Mallow) Drainage Schemes

Munster Blackwater (Fermoy) Drainage Schemes

River Fergus (Ennis) Certified Drainage Schemes

John's River (Waterford) Drainage Schemes

Barrow River (Carlow) Certified Drainage Schemes

River Slaney (Enniscorthy) Drainage Scheme

Avoca River (Arklow) Drainage Scheme

River Mall (Templemore) Drainage Scheme

Mornington River (Mornington) Drainage Scheme

River Slaney (Tullow) Drainage Scheme

River Pil (Pilltown) Drainage Scheme

Portarlington, Co. Laois

Rye Water, Leixlip, Co. Kildare

Harry's Mall, Limerick

River Lee, Cork City,

River Tolka, Dublin and Meath

New Ross, Wexford

River Dodder, Dublin

In addition, a number of other locations are currently being considered. The following is a list of works completed to date:

Mulkear River, Newport, Co. Tipperary

Nanny River, Duleek, Co. Meath

Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare

Gort Town, Bridge Street, Co. Galway

Lacken (Ardrahan), Co. Galway

Mulkear River, Cappamore, Co. Limerick

Maam Valley, Co. Galway

Bridgend, Co. Donegal

Shinkeen Stream, Hazelhatch, Co. Kildare

Bandon River, Dunmanway, Co. Cork

Suir River, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary

River Nore (Kilkenny City) Drainage Scheme.

There has also been a number of minor works completed in conjunction with Local Authorities:

Drumcollogher, Co. Limerick

Belhavel, Co. Leitrim

Avoca, Aughrim & Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow

Morrell River, Co. Kildare

Lyreen-Meadowbrook Rivers, Co. Kildare

Al River, Athlone, Co. Westmeath

Freemount, Co. Cork

Scotch Quay, Waterford City

Mullinahone, Co. Tipperary

Kinvara, Co. Galway

Clancy's Strand, Limerick City.

In addition, OPW is promoting a range of non-structural measures, aimed at raising awareness of flood risk and thereby improving management of the risk to try to prevent future flooding and to minimise damage and other consequences where prevention is not feasible. Expenditure on the above flood relief programmes will be €32 million in the coming year.

OPW also has a rolling programme of maintenance of Arterial Drainage Schemes which it carried out under the Arterial Drainage Act 1945 and which, in addition to providing improved outfall for agricultural land drainage, also provides some level of protection in built-up areas. Expenditure on this programme next year will be approximately €18 million.