Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Flood Prevention Measures

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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370. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the flood relief works which have been carried out on the River Clare in County Galway as part of the Clare river (Claregalway) drainage scheme; the works which remain to be carried out; if flood relief works are proposed for Lisheenavalla in Claregalway; when they will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11562/16]

Photo of Seán CanneySeán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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Advance works carried out to date on the River Clare as part of the Claregalway flood relief scheme include the construction of an additional flood eye at Claregalway Bridge and the replacement of Crusheeny Bridge. These works were carried out on foot of the recommendations of the engineering consultants for the scheme in order to reduce flood risk in the area. Channel Maintenance has been carried out also along the Clare River from Lough Corrib to Crusheeny Bridge and for a distance upstream of Crusheeny Bridge. Also, in conjunction with site setup works in the vicinity of Claregalway Bridge this Spring, minor measures addressing the gap in the wall at An Mhainistir housing estate and providing a local embankment at Nine Arches bridge have been completed.

The proposed further scheme works to be undertaken comprise the following main elements:

- Localised road raising at Miontach North and Miontach South;

- Regrading of the existing channel upstream, through and downstream of the existing Claregalway Bridge;

- Increase the capacity of culverts at various locations on the Kiniska and Islandmore tributaries in conjunction with channel maintenance;

- Construction of pipeline /open channel combination from (a) Carnmore and Cashla areas to Islandmore channel and (b) from Lakeview area to the Clare River upstream of Claregalway Bridge;

- Channel widening from 1.3 km upstream of Crusheeny Bridge to immediately downstream of Crusheeny Bridge to form a two-stage channel;

- Construction of an embankment from 1.3 km upstream of Crusheeny Bridge to the Islandmore drain with the installation of a non-return valve on the outfall of the Islandmore drain.

The scheme works at Caherlea/Lisheenavalla will include channel widening from 1.3km upstream of Crusheeny Bridge to immediately downstream of Crusheeny Bridge to form a two-stage channel, cleaning and regrading of the existing OPW channels Islandmore channel C3/7 and F.7991/1, construction of an embankment along the southern bank of the Clare River from 1.3 km upstream of Crusheeny Bridge to the Islandmore Drain and the installation of a non-return valve on the discharge from the Islandmore drain, with raising of the local road in Caherlea/Lisheenavalla listed as a future measure.

Tenders have been sought for Archaeological Consultants for pre-excavation monitoring and for Environmental Consultants to provide Ecological monitoring during the scheme works and contracts for both are now being placed.

Works on the construction of the Clare River (Claregalway) FRS are estimated to take three years to complete having regard to environmental windows, particularly for instream works on salmonid rivers. Substantive works are scheduled to commence in June 2016 with pipe-laying at Lakeview. It is anticipated at this point that the works in the Lisheenavalla area will be undertaken in 2017.

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