Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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179. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to set down the due date for the return of tender packages for the Skibbereen flood relief scheme; when he will confirm the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2214/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Cork County Council is the Contracting Authority for the Skibbereen Flood Relief Scheme and the Council is progressing the tender process for the project. The due date for the return of tenders for the procurement of a civil works contractor is 5 February, 2016.

The Scheme has been submitted to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for Confirmation. The Minister must have the Scheme’s Environmental Impact Statement independently reviewed before the Scheme can be confirmed. Approval for the contractor appointment by the OPW as the sponsoring and funding agent must await the formal confirmation of the scheme by the Minister. It is hoped that this process will be completed in the next few months, which would allow construction of the scheme to commence in mid-2016.

It is expected that construction of the Skibbereen scheme will take approximately 24-30 months to complete.

The Government remains fully committed to the provision of the flood relief scheme for the people of Skibbereen. Funding for the scheme is available and the OPW has made provision for the cost of implementing the scheme in its financial profiles over the years 2016-2019.