Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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400. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current position regarding the planned flood relief scheme in Cork city; the estimated timeline in the delivery of the project; the level of funding that has been committed to the project; the amount of money which has been spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23852/16]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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The Lower Lee (Cork City) Flood Relief Scheme is at design stage, with the outline design currently being finalised in tandem with an Environmental Impact Statement. It is expected to hold a formal, statutory Public Exhibition later this year, when statutory consultees, affected landowners and the public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed scheme. Following this, work on the detailed design will be progressed with the aim of enabling the Office of Public Works (OPW) to submit the Scheme for Ministerial Confirmation under the Arterial Drainage Acts as early as possible in 2017.

Subject to Confirmation of the Scheme by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the OPW will aim to appoint a civil works contractor and commence construction within a short period thereafter. Due to the likely scale and complexity of the proposed Scheme, it is likely that the Scheme will be undertaken on a phased basis under a number of contracts. The design consultants have commenced work on a Phasing Report which will assist a structured implementation of the Scheme. This will be a very significant scheme with commensurate costs estimated at €60-€80m, though this figure is to be finalised at construction stage, and it is anticipated that the works will take at least 4-5 years to complete.

Both the OPW and Cork City Council are anxious that works would commence at the earliest possible date and investigations are underway to see if some advance works at Morrisons Island could be undertaken by the City Council under its own powers. Should this prove feasible, then funding would be provided to the Council by OPW to enable it to progress such works in early 2017. This work, once complete, will significantly reduce the frequency of tidal flooding in Cork City.

Detailed design and confirmation of the remaining phases of the scheme will follow on after Public Exhibition and it is likely to take approximately 12 to 18 months to complete these phases. It is envisaged that the subsequent construction phases of the scheme will follow on immediately.

€1.795million has been spent on the Lower Lee project to date on fees, surveys etc.

As the outline design for Blackpool has been completed, it has been decided to separate this and make it a scheme in its own right. The proposals for Blackpool were on display during the Public Exhibition period late last year and it is hoped to complete the detailed design of the Scheme and proceed to the tender process for a civil works contractor before the end of the year. The Scheme will also be sent for Confirmation to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform at the same time and subject to no issues arising, a contractor could be appointed in quarter two 2017.

The Government remains fully committed to the provision of a flood relief scheme for the people of Cork City and the OPW has made provision for the cost of implementing both schemes in its Multi Annual Budget Profiles over the period 2016-2021.