Written answers

Thursday, 17 December 2020

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Flood Risk Management

Photo of Sorca ClarkeSorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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311. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a request has been made to his Department by local authorities for additional funding to deal with flooding. [44135/20]

Photo of Patrick O'DonovanPatrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Local flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each Local Authority to investigate and address. All Local Authorities may carry out flood mitigation works, using either their own resources, or by applying for funding under the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme.

The OPW introduced the ‘Minor Works’ Scheme in 2009 on an administrative, non-statutory basis. The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised fluvial flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame. The works to be funded are carried out under Local Authority powers and ongoing maintenance of the completed works is the responsibility of the Council.

Under this scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost not more than €750,000 in each instance. 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. Full details of this scheme are available on www.opw.ie and also at:

To date, over 550 Minor Works projects have been completed to the end of 2019, providing local flooding solutions to over 6,800 properties with expenditure amounting to over €51m since the scheme began in 2009. From the latest annual data available, in 2019, €4.75m was approved for 49 projects with €4.4m drawn down by local authorities to end of 2019.

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