Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Enniscorthy (River Slaney) flood defence scheme is being progressed by Wexford County Council (WCC) on behalf of the Commissioners of Public Works as a scheme under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995. This is a significant scheme within the Office of Public Works' €1 billion flood relief investment programme, and on completion will protect 236 properties in the town.

The Scheme requires formal Confirmation to proceed from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (MPER). This is a statutory requirement under the Arterial Drainage Acts, which now, under the recent European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Arterial Drainage) Regulations 2019, also requires the MPER to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed Scheme. This involves, inter alia, a formal review by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR), along with a Natura Impact Statement, as part of the formal Confirmation process. 

The statutory public consultation period required in relation to this process ran from July 28th to August 28th. The initial phase of the EIAR and NIS reviews were carried out by consultants engaged for this purpose by DPER, during September and early October. On foot of submissions from the public consultation and the EIAR and NIS reviews, DPER have issued a Request for Further Information to the OPW for reply, pursuant to ADA regulations 2019, to ensure that the design of the scheme complies with relevant environmental directives and regulations.  

The OPW, Wexford County Council, and Mott Mc Donald consultants are currently reviewing the material received from DPER and will formally respond to the points raised by the review of the scheme by DPER and their consultants. As the review of the material has not yet been completed it is not possible to provide an accurate timeline for response. Completion of the above tasks and the progression of the flood relief scheme is a priority for all parties.