Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

397. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the funding that has been allocated to Cavan County Council to date in 2016 to carry out essential drainage work; his plans to allocate further funding to the council and, if so, if he will outline the drainage work to be undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23476/16]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

398. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the funding that has been allocated to Monaghan County Council to date in 2016 to carry out essential drainage work; if it proposed to allocate further funding to the council and, if so, if he will outline the drainage work to be undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23477/16]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 397 and 398 together.

It is a matter for Cavan and Monaghan County Councils in the first instance to identify and address localised flooding issues in their counties. It is open to the Councils to undertake any local flood mitigation works using their own resources or, if necessary, to submit an application for funding under the Office of Public Works' (OPW) Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection scheme.

To date in 2016, the OPW has approved funding of €200,130 to Monaghan County Council under the above scheme in respect of proposed projects at Drummillard/Lakeview, Castleblaney (€37,530), Corleck/Annahaia (€15,000 for study), Donaghmoyne (€85,500), Bunnoe River (€40,500 for study) and Edengilrevy (€21,600).

Applications for funding from Monaghan County Council in respect of two other proposed projects at Cornawall, Doohat and at Munmurry, Glaslough are currently being assessed by OPW engineering staff. No applications for funding from Cavan County Council are currently to hand in the OPW.

All applications for funding under the Minor Works administrative scheme are assessed in accordance with the eligibility criteria for the scheme which includes a requirement that all proposed works are cost beneficial and subject to the availability of funding for flood risk management. The eligibility criteria for the scheme are published on the OPW's website www.opw.ie.

The OPW only funds drainage works related to fluvial or river flooding. Any necessary works to address flooding caused by pluvial or inadequate surface water drainage systems are the responsibility of the local authority. The local authority is responsible also for the ongoing maintenance of certain watercourses within Drainage Districts in the county.

The OPW carries out its own programme of Arterial Drainage Maintenance to a total of 11,500km of river channel and approximately 730km of embankments nationally. These maintenance works relate to arterial drainage schemes completed by the OPW under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945, whose purpose was primarily to improve the drainage of agricultural lands. The OPW has a statutory duty to maintain the completed schemes in proper repair and in an effective condition. The annual maintenance programme typically involves some clearance of vegetation and removal of silt build-up on an average five-yearly cycle.

The planned OPW maintenance programme in Co Cavan in 2016 includes work on some 18km on the Inny scheme, approximately 7km on the Boyne scheme and 3km of the Glyde and Dee scheme.

The planned OPW maintenance programme in Co Monaghan in 2016 includes work on approximately 65km of the Monaghan Blackwater Arterial Drainage Scheme and some 35km of the Glyde and Dee scheme.