Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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92. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 69 of 21 April 2021, the status of the flood relief scheme for Clifden, County Galway; the surveys of the catchment area of the Owenglin river that have been carried out or are planned as part of the flood relief scheme; the examination of natural flood management techniques in the catchment area of the Owenglin river that are planned or have been carried out to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32178/21]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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A potential flood relief scheme was recommended for Clifden as part of the National Flood Risk Management Plans, published in 2018, which identified 118 new projects nationwide to be progressed under the National Development Plan 2018 – 2027. Following this proposal, the Office of Public Works confirmed to Galway County Council (GCC) that it would fund the costs of developing and implementing a scheme to alleviate fluvial flooding from the Owenglin River in Clifden.

The Council has worked in collaboration with the OPW to develop a project brief to procure engineering consultants to review the high level flood mitigation options proposed under the FRMP for Clifden, and to progress a viable Flood Relief Scheme to detailed design stage. The design process will include a more detailed assessment of the flood risk within the Owenglin River Catchment, with a view to identifying flood defence measures for Clifden which are viable, cost effective and environmentally sustainable. The surveys required for the development of the scheme will be identified in due course. The design process will also consider Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM), including upstream water storage, as part of the detailed assessment of flood relief measures for the scheme. The process will include further consultation with relevant Stakeholders, and the general public will be given the opportunity to discuss and feed into the flood mitigation options under consideration for Clifden.

Galway Co. Council, acting as the Contracting Authority, went to tender for consultants, to further develop the scheme for Clifden in March 2021. I have been advised by my officials that the tender documentation and briefing material provided by GCC to the prospective tenderers for this tender competition included the full requirements for environmental assessments associated with a flood relief scheme of this nature.

The tender competition has now closed and the Council is currently in the process of assessing the tenders, with a view to appointing consultants to progress the development of a flood relief scheme for Clifden in the coming weeks.