Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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244. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of funding for clearing the Flesk River, County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46523/15]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The river referred to by the Deputy does not form part of any Arterial Drainage Scheme which would fall under the remit of the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act. The OPW therefore has no responsibility for the maintenance of this river.

Glenflesk is one of 300 locations nationwide that is being assessed under the OPW's 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, the development of appropriate and viable preliminary flood risk management options and the production of flood risk management plans. Under the South Western CFRAM Study, draft predictive flood maps for Glenflesk have been produced and were the subject of a Public Consultation Day in Glenflesk on 21 October 2014. Following the conclusion on 23 December 2015 of the national statutory public consultation on the draft flood maps, the maps will be finalised in early 2016. Work on the Preliminary flood risk management options phase of the CFRAM Study is underway. In that regard, a Public Consultation Day was held in Glenflesk on 8 December 2015. Further information is available on the South Western CFRAM Study website . Flood Risk Management Plans are expected in mid 2016 for public consultation.

Local flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each Local Authority to investigate and address, and Kerry County Council may carry out flood mitigation works using its own resources. The Office of Public Works operates a Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. This administrative Scheme's eligibility criteria, including a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial are published on the OPW website, www.opw.ie. It is not available for repair of damaged infrastructure or for maintenance of existing flood defence or coastal protection assets.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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245. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which funding will be made available to facilitate the various and ongoing flood alleviation and drainage proposals throughout County Kildare, with particular regard to the beneficial impact of the work to date and the need for a satisfactory conclusion of the programme as put forward by Kildare County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1267/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am advised that there are no specific outstanding flood alleviation/drainage proposals submitted by Kildare Co. Council that request funding by the Office of Public Works (OPW) at this time, other than the proposed Lower Morrell River Flood Relief Scheme, of which, the Deputy is aware. However, the OPW and KCC continue to work in close consultation on the development of the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) plans for areas of Kildare designated as Areas for Further Assessment or AFAs under the East CFRAM study. Those plans, due to be completed in mid 2016, will identify preferred options for flood alleviation measures as necessary. The implementation of these measures will be considered in due course by the OPW and KCC. The Government's Capital Investment Plan 2016 – 2021 includes total funding of €430m over the period of the Plan for the cost of implementing the schemes and measures that will emerge from the CFRAM process.

As the Deputy is aware, KCC, in consultation with the OPW, engaged Consulting Engineers to carry out a Full Feasibility Study, Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA), and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Lower Morrell River and the surrounding River Catchment in an effort to resolve the outstanding localised flooding issues in the Straffan area. A Steering Group which comprises representatives of KCC, OPW and the consultants, was set up to advance the project.

KCC and their consultants submitted a Draft Options Report /Feasibility Study to the OPW outlining possible flood relief measures for the Lower Morrell River Catchment in 2014. Following consideration of the draft report by the OPW, it was agreed by the Steering Group that the consultants would carry out a more detailed review of the proposed scheme with further analysis of the various options considered to assess the benefits of the current works proposals as they have evolved. The review would also investigate if there are additional or alternative and more cost effective measures that can be put in place to alleviate flooding in the area. Any changes identified by the review process would need to be incorporated into the Cost Benefit Analysis and Environmental Impact Statement before the scheme can be advanced.

I am advised that the consultants have completed the review process and KCC has submitted their findings to the OPW for consideration. The OPW and KCC will meet later this month with a view to finalising the Feasibility Report. Once the Feasibility Report has been finalised, and provided the scheme is still economically and environmentally viable, KCC and the OPW will decide on how best to advance the proposed works. The OPW has included provision for the cost of the proposed works in its financial profiles in the period up to 2018.