Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

188. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide funding to clear the Flesk River through Clonkeen and Glenflesk of all blockages, trees, scrub and silt, to allow the water to flow freely and to prevent future flooding of houses, community facilities, the N22 and the R570 regional road, and the Foildonn link road, where 14 families are continuously cut off in times of heavy rain. [5364/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The River Flesk 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.

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 open to the Council to submit a funding application under the Scheme. Any application received will be considered in accordance with the overall availability of resources for flood risk management and the scheme's eligibility criteria.

Glenflesk village 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. To date this Programme has produced predictive flood risk and hazard mapping for each location, the development of appropriate and viable preliminary flood risk management options and is working to finalise 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, work is currently under way on finalisation of the maps. A Public Consultation Day on Preliminary flood risk management options was held in Glenflesk on 8 December 2015. Draft Flood Risk Management Plans are expected in mid 2016 and will be the subject of public consultation. Further information is available on the South Western CFRAM Study website

www.southwestcframstudy.ie.