Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 107: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the person who has responsibility for designating the area covered by the flood plain of a river; the data used in such designations; if his attention has been drawn to changes in the area covered by the flood plain of the River Liffey to include a road (details supplied) in County Dublin despite the fact that this road has never been flooded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28076/07]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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It is assumed that the Deputy's Question refers to data displayed on the Office of Public Work's website floodmaps.ie. At present there is not extensive national flood plain mapping. In 2004 the Government designated the OPW as lead agency for flood risk management. The OPW is currently implementing a comprehensive strategy that includes a programme to develop predictive maps that will indicate areas expected to be at risk from flooding for flood events of varying severities. A European Union Directive that will enter into force this month will require that Member States produce this type of mapping for all River basins where there is significant flood risk. A number of sophisticated techniques, including hydraulic modelling will be used. While it will take a number of years to complete the predictive mapping programme, maps for the first catchments completed will be available on the website in 2008.

In preparation for the predictive mapping programme, the OPW collected from various state organisations and other sources reports, newspaper articles and other records in relation to areas that flooded in the past. The material was checked to establish as far as possible the accuracy of the information and the approximate location of the flood event recorded. The material was presented on the floodmaps.ie website in 2006 as a guide to members of the public and planners pending the development of predictive maps.

Due to lack of information in some of the source material, it is pointed out on the website that the location indicated for flood events is approximate only. Users of the website are invited to forward additional flood related material they may have or to query items already displayed on it. If the Deputy will provide my Office with further details of the information relating to Lucan that is believed to be incorrect I will have the matter examined.