Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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119. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the timeline for the construction of the Crossmolina flood relief scheme following on his announcement of May 2018; his plans to review and expedite this timeline in view of the ongoing flood threat to the residents of the town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42848/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Crossmolina Flood Relief Scheme Public Exhibition was held from the 21st May 2018 until 22nd June 2018, in line with the requirements set out in the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995. The project team is currently preparing responses to the observations received from the various Government Departments and the general public, which were received throughout the Public Exhibition. It is hoped that responses to these observations will be issued in the coming weeks.

The scheme has now entered the detailed design stage, and the project team is currently carrying out hydraulic modelling, as well as completing the detailed site investigation, and preparing the documentation to be submitted to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for formal statutory approval or Confirmation. These are all critical path items, and the team is focused on delivering the project in as short a timeline as possible.

It is hoped that the scheme will be submitted to the Minister for approval in early 2019. The approval process can take up to six months, as the Minister is required to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and, in this regard, will procure independent specialists to review the Environmental Impact Assessment Report submitted as part of the scheme documentation. In order to expedite the programme, the OPW’s project team and consultants will begin the contractor procurement process, so that if and when confirmation is received, works will be able to start immediately. It is hoped that works will commence on the ground in late 2019.

I wish to advise you that in the interim period, the OPW has provided Mayo County Council with funding to carry out a number of minor flood relief works and has funded the installation of flood gates in some of the most vulnerable properties in the town, and these measures have been successful in preventing properties from flooding in the most recent flood event.