Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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85. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the details on the management of the River Shannon as part of the report managing flood risk in Ireland; the timelines of the projects announced in the report; the annual money allocation until 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49188/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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On 3rd May, 2018, I was delighted to launch 29 Flood Risk Management Plans and investment of €1bn in flood risk management as part of the Government’s Project Ireland 2040.

These Plans are the output from the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme - the largest ever flood risk study carried out in the State.

The Plans set out the measures proposed to address the flood risk nationally, and include 19 new flood relief schemes to protect towns in the River Shannon River catchment, in addition to the scheme already underway in Athlone.

Twelve of these have now been prioritised, as part of this ten year programme.  The OPW and the Local Authorities have been engaging pro-actively since the launch of the Plans to advance the implementation of these schemes. Engagement with the Local Authorities is on-going in relation to Springfield, Ballinasloe, Nenagh, Longford, Rahan, Castleconnell, Mohill, Leitrim, Clonaslee and Killaloe and for Limerick City, King's Island and environs. Further to recent engagement with Leitrim County Council, the OPW and the County Council have also agreed to advance the implementation of the scheme for Carrick-on-Shannon.

Capital Funding for the delivery of the existing schemes and the additional schemes identified in the Flood Risk Management has been provided by the Government and expenditure in this area will increase to €100m annually by 2021.

In January 2016, the Shannon Flood Risk State Agency Co-ordination Working Group was established by Government to support the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Programme and further enhance the on-going co-operation across all of the State agencies involved with the River Shannon, including ESB, Waterways Ireland, Bord na Móna, Inland Fisheries Ireland, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, OPW and the relevant local authorities.

The Shannon Group has taken a number of significant decisions since its establishment, including targeted maintenance at a number of locations, trialling the lowering of the levels on Lough Allen, studies to explore managing flood risk at the Callows and lower Shannon below parteen.