Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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129. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will address a matter regarding flood relief (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8672/20]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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As part of the Catchment Based Flood Risk Assessment Management Programme (CFRAM), Moneycashen was identified as an Area for Further Assessment (AFA).

While the CFRAM Programme did not find the scale of the flood defence works required to provide community-wide protection for the ‘at-risk’ properties at Moneycashen to be economically viable (with costs estimated to be €4.5m and maximum potential benefits of less than €640k),  the Non-Structural measures of “Flood Forecasting” and raising Public Awareness were identified as being viable. However, neither of these measures would provide protection to the required 0.5% AEP event design standard.

Regarding the OPW’s Voluntary Home Relocation Scheme, a number of properties at Moneycashen were proposed to the OPW by Kerry County Council for inclusion in this scheme.  These properties were excluded by the OPW, however, on the basis that they did not satisfy the scheme’s qualifying criteria. The OPW liaised directly with the property owners outlining the reasons for their exclusion from the scheme.

The work of the cross Government Interdepartmental Flood Policy Co-ordination Group, which I chair myself, is developing a range of non-structural policy options to help mitigate flood risk for those properties where a flood relief scheme is not viable. In that regard a priority is the establishment of the national Flood Forecasting Service that is being developed by Met Eireann and overseen by the OPW.

It also remains open to the Local Authority to apply to the OPW for funding of flood mitigation projects of up to EUR750k under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works Scheme.  Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects.  Applications are assessed by the OPW having regard to the specific economic, social and environmental criteria of the scheme, including a cost benefit ratio and having regard to the availability of funding for flood risk management.