Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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179. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the flood prevention measures put in place along the River Shannon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23727/17]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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The Office of Public Works (OPW) is delivering a multi-annual programme of capital investment in flood defence measures, from the €430 million allocated through the Capital Investment Plan 2016 to 2021. Since 2009, a number of major flood defence schemes have been completed in the Shannon catchment area including Ennis Upper and Derrymullen, Ballinasloe. Further schemes are currently underway at Kings Island in Limerick, Foynes, Athlone, Ennis Lower and Ennis South.

The OPW introduced the Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme in 2009, following the flood events experienced in many parts of the country. The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame. Details of the administrative arrangements for this scheme are available on the OPW website, www.opw.ie.

Table 1 sets out the annual detail by Local Authority area of the 473 minor works projects approved by the OPW each year since 2009 within the Shannon Catchment area. The OPW also publishes on its website, www.opw.ie, the location and details of each project approved. The commencement and progression of any works, for which funding is approved, is a matter for each Local Authority concerned.

The core strategy for addressing the significant flood risks along the River Shannon is the OPW’s Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. Of the 300 Areas for Further Assessment (AFAs) nationwide, there are 66 in the Shannon River Basin District that have been assessed within the Shannon CFRAM study.  These are listed in Table 2 attached.

Feasible flood relief structural measures have been identified to provide protection to almost all properties at assessed significant risk from flooding. Following a public consultation process, the Flood Risk Management Plans are now being finalised, taking on board the observations received. These final Plans will include a prioritised list of feasible structural measures, to address flood risk in an environmentally sustainable and cost effective manner.

In January 2016, the Government took decisive action to support the existing plans in place to address flooding on the Shannon and established the Shannon Flood Risk State Agency Co-ordination Working Group to enhance ongoing co-operation of all State agencies involved with the River Shannon and to add value to the CFRAM Programme.

The Shannon Flood Risk State Agency Co-ordination Working Group has taken the decision to develop a plan for strategic maintenance works on the River Shannon that will complement the Group’s Work Programme and the specific measures that are identified for the areas at risk in the CFRAM Draft Shannon Flood Risk Management Plan. The Group has established a sub-committee to address all of the necessary legal, environmental, technical and other considerations that arise in bringing forward both short term and long term proposals. The Group has now agreed to the delivery of targeted maintenance activities to be carried out in a range of locations this year in accordance with the permitted seasonal windows for such activities.

Since last October, the Group has also been piloting the lowering of the lake levels in Lough Allen to help mitigate potential flood risk during Winter months and has also endorsed the commencement of a specific project, led by the OPW, to identify viable flood risk reduction measures in the Shannon Callows.

Table 1

Approved Projects under Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme in the Shannon Catchment

2009 to 2017 (to end April)

Further details on all projects approved under the Scheme can be found on the OPW website:

Table 2

Areas of Further Assessment (AFAs) in the Shannon CFRAM Study