Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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136. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the flood defence works in Athlone, County Westmeath; and the timeline for the completion of flood defences. [9557/20]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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Westmeath County Council (WCC) working in conjunction with the Office of Public Works (OPW) is advancing proposals to deal with the flooding issues in Athlone.  WCC is the Contracting Authority and the OPW is funding the costs of the flood relief works for the town in addition to undertaking the construction works using its own direct labour.

Engineering consultants were appointed in April 2017 to identify appropriate flood risk alleviation measures for Athlone.  The Options Appraisal Report identified eight discrete cells of flood defence works. These flood cells are each being progressed individually under Part 8 or Part 10 of the Planning and Development Regulations with works being undertaken by the OPW’s own workforce, as a direct managed scheme.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions all construction activities were halted from the 27th March 2020. Works recommenced on the 18th of May 2020 under the HSE Return to Work Safely protocols

The current status of each flood cell is set out in the following table.

Table 1:

All construction works for the Athlone Flood Alleviation Scheme are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021 but the delay caused by Covid-19 may push some works into 2022.

When completed, the project will provide flood protection to approximately 560 properties.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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137. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the plans being considered or in progress to address the ongoing flooding in County Longford. [9558/20]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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The Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme was the largest ever flood risk study carried out in the State and covered 300 areas believed to be at significant flood risk. The CFRAM programme culminated with the launch on 3 May 2018 of 29 Flood Risk Management Plans, which proposed 118 new outline flood relief projects, on top of the 42 major projects already completed and the 33 major schemes at planning, design or construction within the existing capital works programme of the Office of Public Works (OPW). 

The Flood Risk Management Plans included a recommendation for a flood relief scheme at Longford Town.  This project is now being progressed by Longford County Council, who are in the final stages of preparing the Consultant’s Brief for the development, planning and design of the scheme, which is due to go to Tender in the near future.

The proposed works for Longford Town would involve construction of a 30m new flood defence wall and removal of the existing footbridge on the Camlin River upstream of the N63 Bridge, protecting 17 properties when completed.

Once consultants are appointed to progress the scheme, consultation with statutory and non-statutory bodies, as well as the general public, will take place at the appropriate stages to ensure that all parties have the opportunity to input into the development of the proposals within the scheme.

In addition to this, two applications for funding under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme were submitted for County Longford in 2019; Dromahara in Ballinalee, and  Farannyoogan. A revised application was requested by the OPW for the Dromahara application and this is awaited. The Farannyoogan application is still under consideration. No further applications have been submitted in 2020 to date.