Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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87. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Office of Public Works has received a report from a consulting engineering firm regarding minor flood relief works carried out at a location (details supplied) in County Cork; if additional funding will be provided for 2016 for further flood relief works at this location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33478/15]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Office of Public Works (OPW) has not received a report from a consulting engineering firm in relation to minor flood relief works carried out at Inchigeela, Co Cork. I can confirm however, that under the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme, Cork County Council received funding of €40,000 for flood relief works at Ballingeary/Inchigeela in 2011 and €45,000 for further works at Inchigeela in 2012. This funding is fully drawn down.

It is open to Cork Council to carry out further minor flood relief works at Inchigeela using its own resources. The Council may also apply for further funding for flood relief works under the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation and Coastal Protection Scheme. Any application received will be considered in accordance with the scheme eligibility criteria, which include a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, and having regard to the overall availability of resources for flood risk management. Application forms and guidance material are available on the OPW's website under Flood Risk Management.

Inchigeela is one of 300 locations nationwide that is being assessed under the Office of Public Works' (OPW) Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme, the purpose of which is to implement the EU Floods Directive and national flood policy. The Programme involves the production of predictive flood risk and hazard mapping for each location, developing preliminary flood risk management options and producing flood risk management plans. Under the South Western CFRAM Study, draft predictive flood maps for Inchigeela have been produced and were the subject of a Public Consultation Day in Inchigeela on 27 January 2015. The flood maps will be finalised following a national public consultation scheduled to be held later in 2015. Work on the development of preliminary flood risk management options for Inchigeelagh, including further local public consultation, are scheduled for early 2016.

Further information is available on the South Western CFRAM Study website www.southwestcframstudy.ie.