Written answers

Tuesday, 5 December 2017

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Flood Prevention Measures

Photo of Eugene MurphyEugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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156. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will publish the full surveys that have been carried out on ongoing flooding issues in Castleplunket, County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51448/17]

Photo of Eugene MurphyEugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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157. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will publish the full surveys that have been carried out on the ongoing flooding issues in Lough Funshinagh, County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51449/17]

Photo of Eugene MurphyEugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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158. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to provide each local authority with extra finances to deal with specific drainage and maintenance issues that continue to add to the flooding problems on rural roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51450/17]

Photo of Eugene MurphyEugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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159. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the planned flood defences for Roscommon town, County Roscommon, are likely to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51451/17]

Photo of Eugene MurphyEugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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160. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the planned flood defences for Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, are likely to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51452/17]

Photo of Eugene MurphyEugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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161. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to remove silt and vegetation that is built up at the Lanesborough Bridge, County Longford, in order to ensure the free movement of water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51454/17]

Photo of Kevin  MoranKevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 to 161, inclusive, together.

Study of flooding from Turloughs at Castleplunkett and Lough Funshinagh

The Office of Public Works (OPW) West Region engineering staff are working with engineering staff of Roscommon County Council, Galway County Council & Mayo County Council in relation to Turlough flooding. The Steering Committee for the GSI Monitoring and Modelling Project which includes OPW representation, has met twice with the most recent meeting being Monday, 27 November 2017.

In order to assess fully the viability of any engineering proposals a greater understanding of these individual Turloughs is required. Funding of €0.5m over a three year period has been put in place, through the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, for Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) to provide advice and assistance to County Councils' engineering staff to achieve this.

In this context GSI, in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin, has initiated a project on Groundwater and Turlough Monitoring and Modelling to investigate flooding specifically related to groundwater and Turloughs in 60 sites that include Catleplunkett and Lough Funshinagh.

The installation of permanent telemetric monitoring stations has also commenced and is providing the fundamental hydrological information required to advance understanding of the mechanisms of groundwater flooding and to address the deficit of data available.

Survey data, which is to include level data from individual loggers and survey data collected by GSI for or under the Study, will ordinarily be made available on request to the relevant Local Authority in the first instance. OPW are not a repository for this data. It is envisaged that in time GSI will be in a position to make available quality controlled data from the network of permanent telemetric monitoring stations presently being developed.

Officials from my office recently met Roscommon County Council and a Minor Works application is expected for work adjacent to Lough Funshinagh.

Flood defence schemes for Roscommon Town and Carrick-on-Shannon

The core strategy for addressing areas at potentially significant risk from flooding is the Office of Public Works (OPW) Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme.

I would hope by the end of this year or early 2018, to seek the approval from the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform for the 29 Flood Risk Management Plans developed under the CFRAM process.

Thereafter, I would hope to announce the proposed structural measures contained within those Plans that will, over the coming years, be taken, through a prioritised approach, to detailed design to protect those communities at assessed risk.

The proposed measure for Carrick-on-Shannon consists of a series of flood embankments, walls and floodgate. These hard defences will extend for a total length of 2.6km and will provide protection to approximately 76 properties at risk of fluvial flooding.

The proposed measure for Roscommon Town consists of a series of flood embankments and walls. These hard defences will extend for a total length of 2.6km and will provide protection to approximately 16 properties at risk of fluvial flooding.

Approval for proposed schemes in the Plans, allows for their progression to detailed design, further environmental assessments and public consultation.

Lanesborough, Co. Roscommon

In respect of any flood risk in Lanesborough, the area was assessed as part of the Shannon CFRAM Programme as being relatively low. The OPW is aware of concerns about the river channel regarding a potential impact on angling however, as this channel does not form part of the Arterial Drainage Districts for which OPW has responsibility, it remains the responsibility of Local Authorities to address local flooding issues in the first instance.

Funding for Maintenance of Local Authority Drainage Districts

The OPW is responsible for maintaining Arterial Drainage schemes completed since 1945. Maintenance is carried out in a five-year cycle for in excess of 11,500 km of channel and 730 km of embankments and there is approximately 650,000 acres (265,400 hectares) of benefitting land, primarily agricultural. Separately, Local Authorities are responsible for the maintenance of Drainage Districts in their area. I am engaging with the Minister of Housing, Planning and Local Government to look at ensuring that sufficient funding is available for Local Authorities to fulfil these obligations.

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