Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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322. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding the provision of a flood relief scheme in respect of an area (details supplied) in County Cork; the progress that has been made to date on this scheme; the prospective timeline in which he expects work to get underway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22662/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Consultants were appointed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in December 2010 to undertake a study of the flooding problem in Bandon. The proposed recommendations in the completed study were brought to formal public exhibition in June 2012 under the Arterial Drainage Acts. The proposed scheme which would provide protection to over 360 properties in the town was welcomed at the time by the public. Some changes were made to the proposed scheme as a result of submissions made by interested parties, with the main change being the addition of two new areas into the Scheme.

Detailed design of the flood relief scheme for Bandon commenced in early 2013 and is now almost completed. The first stage of the procurement process for a civil works contractor was commenced in November 2013. However, as a result of a technical legal issue the OPW terminated the process. The OPW will recommence the pre-qualification process very shortly.

The effect of having to re-run the process has meant that construction works are now expected to commence in the first quarter of 2015 rather than the previously anticipated start time of September 2014. While the delay in starting the works is unfortunate, it does not affect the completion date of the Scheme, which will still be programmed for completion towards the end of 2016. The reason for this is that the Scheme requires two summer seasons of channel works due to environmental constraints, and the scheme programme provides that works would take place in the summers of 2015 and 2016.

The OPW is fully committed to the Bandon Flood Relief Scheme and has included for its cost in its multi-annual budget profiles to 2017.