James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 165: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will ensure that waste water and drainage schemes in Longford/Westmeath which are supported under the Water Services Investment Programme are planned and prioritised with flood risk management considerations highlighted and assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33930/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Office of Public Works (OPW) is the lead agency for flood risk management in Ireland. The coordination and implementation of the Government's policy on the management of flood risk in Ireland, in conjunction with responsibilities under the Arterial Drainage Acts, 1945-1995, form one of the core services of the OPW. The OPW is also responsible for the national flood risk management policy. This is based on the report of the Flood Policy Review Group, which was published in 2003 and adopted by Government in 2004.

My Department, in partnership with the OPW, published Guidelines for Planning Authorities on the Planning System and Flood Risk Management in November 2009 with the aim of ensuring a more consistent, rigorous and systematic approach to flood risk identification, assessment and management within the planning system. These statutory guidelines provide the basis for planning authorities to identify, assess and take appropriate steps to manage flood risk in a sustainable manner.

My Department's multi-annual Water Services Investment Programme funds the provision of water services infrastructure to address specific environmental, public health and economic needs. While the Programme includes the upgrade and expansion of sewerage networks, storm water drainage is only funded where it is the most economic means of providing increased foul drainage capacity in combined sewer systems, enabling storm water to be diverted from the combined system. It is to this limited extent only that sewerage schemes provide flood relief measures; no funding is available from the Water Services Investment Programme for specific separate storm water drainage, flood prevention or relief works. It is possible in some instances to combine the procurement and delivery of works being funded for such purposes by the OPW with schemes being advanced by local authorities under the Water Services Investment Programme, and so minimise disruption to the public and secure more efficient procurement of the overall works.