Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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336. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the case of a person (details supplied) whose house was flooded in December 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18068/16]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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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. I note from the information supplied by the Deputy that the home owner has recently sought assistance from the Council in the matter. It is open to the Council to submit a funding application to OPW under the 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. 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 27 locations in the South West River Basin District and 300 locations nationwide that are 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. This Programme involves the production of predictive flood mapping for each location, the development of 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. A further Public Consultation Day was held in Glenflesk on 8th December, 2015 to present and discuss preliminary options to manage the significant flood risks.

The draft flood mapping is now being finalised following completion of the national statutory public consultation on 23rd December, 2015. Following finalisation of the mapping and the identification of flood risk management options, the final output from this important project will be integrated Flood Risk Management Plans containing specific measures to address in a comprehensive and sustainable way the significant flood risks identified. The draft Plans are scheduled to be made available for public consultation from mid-2016. Following the public consultation process the finalised Plans will include a prioritised list of measures, both structural and non-structural, to address flood risk in an environmentally sustainable and cost effective manner.