Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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369. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the OPW's flood relief works and plans in relation to the east Meath area specifically highlighting the Northlands Estate; the cost of such works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30919/16]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I am advised that construction will commence on the Northlands Estate, Bettystown Flood Relief works in late October 2016 with an estimated construction cost of €1.5m and will take an approximately 52 weeks to complete.

In 2016 to date the OPW has approved funding of €450,000 under the Office of Public Works' (OPW) Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection scheme to Meath County Council for a project at Ashbourne, Co Meath.

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.

During Quarter 4 2016 maintenance works will be carried out on approx 4km of the Mornington channel and also the Northlands channel.