Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

407. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update on progress on supplying structural and physical infrastructure to avoid future flooding in places such as Passage East and Cheekpoint in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13855/14]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is a matter for Waterford County Council in the first instance to investigate and address coastal protection issues generally in the county, including remedial works required on foot of damage from the recent storms.

The Government decided on 11 February 2014 to make available up to €69.5 million for a programme of repair and remediation works to roads, coastal protection and flood defence and other public infrastructure damaged in the storms from 13th December 2013 to 6th January 2014 based on estimates provided by the local authorities concerned. Of the total amount being made available, up to €19.6 million is available via the Office of Public Works (OPW) for the repair of damaged coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government has written to Waterford County Council, indicating, based on the estimate submitted by the Council to that Department, that up to €1,150,000 is being made available to the Council via the OPW to undertake the necessary repair works to damaged coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure.

Waterford County Council must submit an overall programme of works to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government detailing how it proposes to spend the total allocation that is being made available to it. It must also submit the relevant elements of the programme to each Department from whom funding will be made available for consideration of technical aspects of the proposed works. When Waterford County Council's programme of coastal protection and flood defence projects is received by the OPW it will be reviewed having regard to related guidance issued by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to the local authorities. The OPW has written to the local authorities indicating that in order to assist them in a practical way and to avoid any potential cash-flow issues, it will consider requests for advance funding of up to 80% of the estimated cost of approved projects where a contract for works has been made.

With regard to Passage East, the OPW approved funding of €15,000 to the Council in 2012 under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme for a flood study. The study is complete and the Council has drawn down the funding. No application for funding was received in relation to Cheekpoint.