Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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877. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if, in light of recent significant flooding events and the need for a focused and co-ordinated response, he will designate the OPW as the lead agency for the entirety of the River Deel in Crossmolina, County Mayo, and allocate responsibility and resources for same. [24407/16]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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The Report of the Flood Policy Review Group was approved by Government in September 2004, which identified the OPW as the lead agency for flood risk management in Ireland. The role involves the coordination of the activities of Government Departments and agencies in the area of flood relief and risk management.

The River Deel downstream of Crossmolina is part of the River Moy Catchment Drainage Scheme which was carried out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) between 1960 and 1971 under powers set out in the Arterial Drainage Act 1945. As with other schemes carried out under the 1945 Act, the primary purpose was to provide outfall for the drainage of agricultural lands, but the scheme also contributes significantly to reducing the flood risk in urban areas which it serves.

The OPW continues to have statutory responsibility for maintaining completed arterial drainage schemes, including the River Moy Catchment Drainage Scheme, in proper repair and effective condition. Maintenance work is carried out in accordance with OPW’s Environmental Management Protocols and Standard Operating Procedures which have been developed to minimise the potential environmental impact of the operations. The OPW has no authority to carry out maintenance works in channels, such as those upstream of Crossmolina, which are not part of the scheme.

Crossmolina was identified as an area of potentially significant flood risk (known as an Area for Further Assessment, or 'AFA') under the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA), which is a requirement of the EU Floods Directive and was completed in 2011. As the assessment of flood risk in Crossmolina was already in-hand at the time of commissioning the CFRAM Studies, it was decided that the development of flood risk management measures for Crossmolina would continue in a project parallel to, rather than part of, the CFRAM Studies. The OPW is currently engaged in the development of a flood relief scheme for the town of Crossmolina. As an interim measure to help mitigate any further flood damage pending the completion of a flood defence scheme, OPW and Mayo County Council are working together on a pilot project of individual property protection. The Council has carried out a survey of households and has received expressions of interest from 60 homeowners for the installation of flood gates. OPW is currently appointing consultants to undertake surveys of individual properties to determine their suitability for floodgates.