Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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191. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when recently approved works to prevent further flooding in the Claregalway area will commence; the completion date for these works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5381/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Minister for the Department Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER), Brendan Howlin T.D., confirmed the Clare River (Claregalway) Scheme in November 2015 and this was followed by an eight week period of public notice of the Confirmation decision.

Also, based on the expert recommendation contained in the independent valuation report commissioned by DPER on the Environmental Impact Statement prepared for the Scheme by the Office of Public Works (OPW), the Department considered that a number of further conditions (26) should be attached to the decision to confirm the Claregalway Scheme. The purpose of these conditions is to provide additional mitigation measures to those already included in the EIS, to avoid/reduce and if possible offset any major adverse effects (if any) of the proposed Scheme.

In order to comply fully with these conditions the OPW deemed it necessary to take on the services of both Archaeological and Environmental Consultants to carry out Archaeological and Environmental Monitoring of the works throughout the construction phase of this project. The OPW is in the process of procuring consultants to carry out this work and it is expected that construction on the main scheme works will commence in May 2016. Works will be carried out over a 3 year period with substantial completion expected to be achieved by the end of 2018.