Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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249. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the flood relief works including detailed expenditure and plans in the County Louth and east County Meath areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34164/17]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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In relation to the current position on flood relief works in counties Louth and Meath, I am advised by the Commissioners of Public Works as follows:

Meath: Construction commenced on the Northlands Estate, Bettystown Flood Relief works in late October 2016 with an estimated project budget of €2.5m. It is anticipated that the works will take approximately 52 weeks to complete. €850,000 has been expended to date on this project which is being carried out by the Office of Public Works (OPW) direct labour force.

In 2016, the OPW approved funding of €511,200 under its Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection scheme to Meath County Council for projects at Ashbourne (€450,000) and Woodtown, Co Meath. The works at Ashbourne are progressing and being carried out by the OPW's direct labour force. An important channel overflow structure has been completed which will have a significant impact on mitigating flooding. The works at Woodtown are complete and funding for these has been fully drawn down.

Louth: Works commenced in 2017 on the coastal flood relief scheme at Bellurgan and this is progressing well. The estimated project budget for this work is €0.750m and work is expected to be completed in quarter two 2018. In addition, the OPW approved funding of €14,400 under its Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection scheme to Louth County Council for a project at Rampark, Lordship, Co. Louth which has been completed with funding fully drawn down. Also, under the Minor Works scheme, coastal protection works at Baltray have been funded and completed.

The OPW carries out its own programme of Arterial Drainage Maintenance on 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 2016 maintenance works was carried out on approximately 4km of the Mornington channel and also the Northlands channel.

The core strategy for addressing areas at potentially significant risk from flooding, is the OPW's Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. It is the principal vehicle for implementing the EU Floods Directive and national flood policy. The Programme, which is being undertaken by engineering consultants on behalf of the OPW working in partnership with the local authorities, involves, following extensive public consultation, the production of predictive flood mapping for 300 areas of significant flood risk nationally, the development and assessment of flood risk management options and the production of flood risk management plans which will include both structural and non-structural measures to address flood risk in those areas. The assessments of flood risk in counties Louth and Meath are included in the East CFRAM study.

The draft plans are expected to be completed and submitted for approval by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in the Autumn.