Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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186. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to amend the criteria for grants to local authorities to alleviate and prevent storm damage to allow for applications to ensure no flooding or storm damage occurs to individual houses situated near the coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12667/17]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I am assuming the Deputy is referring to the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme (the Minor Works scheme) which is operated by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to provide funding to local authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection measures or studies within their administrative areas. This scheme does not apply in normal course to storm damage repairs. However, as an exceptional measure, funding for such work was provided under the scheme in 2014 and 2015 arising from the Government Decision of 11 February 2014 which allocated total funding of up to €69.5 million for clean-up, repair and restoration works in relation to public infrastructure that was damaged in the severe storms during the period 13 December 2013 to 6 January 2014. Of this sum of €69.5 million, up to €19.6 million was allocated for repair of existing coastal protection and flood defences based on submissions and cost estimates made by the local authorities concerned to the then Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. This funding was made available to the local authorities via the OPW based on programmes of works submitted by the local authorities. The Departments of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Transport, Tourism and Sport and Agriculture, Food and the Marine were responsible for the approval of programmes of work and the disbursement of funding for repair of other damaged public infrastructure such as roads, piers, harbours and other community facilities and amenities.

The identification and assessment of problems of flooding or damage to properties due to ongoing coastal erosion is a matter for local authorities in the first instance. If the local authority can identify an economically and environmentally viable solution to address the problem through improving coastal defence infrastructure or some alternative measures then it is open to it to undertake that work using its own resources or, if that is not feasible, to apply for funding under the OPW's Minor Works scheme. Any application received will be assessed under the scheme's eligibility criteria. I would emphasise that the Minor Works scheme is not a grant scheme for individual householders and is not operated in that way. It is a funding mechanism between OPW and local authorities to enable the latter to undertake smaller scale, localised works. All applications must be received from the local authority and, if funding is approved, the works must be organised, contracted and paid for directly by the local authority. Under the scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost up to €500,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects, with the balance being funded by the local authority concerned. Local authorities submit funding applications in the prescribed format, which are then assessed by the OPW having regard to the specific technical, economic, social and environmental criteria of the scheme, including a cost benefit assessment. With regard to the latter, proposals must meet a minimum benefit to cost ratio of 1.5:1 in order to qualify. Full details are available on the OPW website www.opw.ie.

The scheme generally applies to relatively straightforward cases where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame. Proposals for larger scale works would require more detailed technical, environmental and economic assessment by the Council.

A review of the Minor Works Scheme is currently underway with a view to examining the criteria for consideration within the Scheme, including for example the various thresholds for the assessment of benefit and the financial limits for applications under the Scheme. The review, which includes consultations with Local Authorities, is examining any potential improvements, administrative or financial, which will encourage applications under the scheme. It is expected that the review will be completed shortly.