Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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90. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding flooding at a location (details supplied) in County Kerry, with regard to a drain that needs to be cleaned out by the Office of Public Works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39914/15]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The location referred to by the Deputy forms part of the Maine Catchment Drainage Scheme which was carried by the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945. The OPW continues to have a statutory responsibility for the maintenance of this scheme.

Works were carried out on this channel in late 2014 to facilitate the strengthening of the adjacent Flood Defence Embankment. Works involved widening the existing channel to source material to strengthen the adjoining Flood Defence following the spring storms of 2014 where this flood defence became breached. As a result of the widening of channel, the storage capacity has been increased, which has a positive effect on the drainage network in the area. OPW will shortly investigate whether the channel requires additional maintenance works.

Over the past 18 months, the OPW resources on the River Maine Catchment have been deployed in repairing, maintaining and improving flood defence assets (including sluice structures). These assets provide protection against flooding to a large number of residences, and suffered extensive damage in the storms of 2014. Work on the defence assets has been prioritised. On completion of this work, OPW will be able to resume its programme of scheduled channel maintenance works.