Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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226. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of budget funding in the 2015 for flood relief works; the amount spent to date; the budget for such works in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40297/15]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The total funding allocation, current and capital, for the Office of Public Works (OPW) overall Flood Risk Management Programme in 2015 is €87.815m. This includes provision for expenditure on capital flood relief works, on arterial drainage maintenance activities, the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme, purchase of plant and machinery, hydrometric and hydrological investigation and monitoring and on the general administrative costs of operating the programme. Full details are provided in the Revised Estimates Volume 2015.

The largest element of funding is allocated for the OPW's flood relief capital works activities at €61.284m. This allocation provides for the preparation and design of flood relief schemes, the construction of flood relief works, the payment of compensation costs arising from these works and the carrying out of minor coastal or non-coastal works by Local Authorities with funding provided by the OPW under the Minor Works Scheme. It also provides for the carrying out of CFRAM studies as required by the EU Flood Directive. The 2015 allocation also includes an amount in respect of funding for Local Authorities for the repair of coastal protection infrastructure damaged in the storms of Winter 2014.

Expenditure to 31st October, 2015 on the OPW's overall Flood Risk Management Programme is approximately €35.691 million. There have been unanticipated delays in the progression of some flood relief schemes but the outturn for expenditure in 2015 on the Programme overall is projected to be €73.323 million. The OPW intend to apply to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to carry forward an element of the capital saving to the 2016 estimate under the Deferred Surrender scheme.

The total budget allocation, current and capital, for the overall Flood Risk Management Programme in 2016 is €73.846 million of which €44.2m. is allocated for flood relief capital works.