Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress to date in 2021 on the Ballina, County Mayo flood relief scheme. [50165/21]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Ballina Flood Relief Scheme is currently at Stage 1 (Option Assessment, Scheme Development and Outline Design). Mayo County Council appointed consultants for the scheme in February 2020. The scheme has a preliminary total project budget of €8.2 million. Options are currently being developed for the scheme. On selection of a preferred option, Mayo County Council will submit the scheme to An Bord Pleanala for Planning Consent. Provisionally, it is expected to go for Planning in Autumn 2022.

The consultants, with support from the Steering Group Members, are making good progress through stage 1. As part of this work, surveys, feeding into the Hydrological and Hydraulic assessments, have been ongoing throughout the year. The Hydrology Report is now complete. The Hydraulics Report will be finalised in the coming weeks, once inputs from the data gathered in the CCTV Survey are complete. The Topographical Survey has been completed. Ground Investigations are currently on site. Environmental Surveys, providing baseline environmental data for the project, are ongoing. These surveys include Habitat, Mammal, Bird, Bat and Invasive Alien Species surveys.

The Opening Collaborative Workshop was held (virtually) on Wednesday 9^thJune 2021. Representatives from various relevant stakeholders were invited to the workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to identify and discuss any particular issues, constraints and opportunities that could inform the development of the Scheme. The proposed scheme, as developed through the Western CFRAM study and outlined in the Flood Risk Management Plan for the Moy & Killala Bay River Basin (May 2018), was presented alongside other factors, such as: Potential for Natural Water Retention Measures, Objectives of Ballina Local Area Plan, Public Realm/Landscape Enhancements at Cathedral Road and Emmet Street, Ireland’s Greenest Town Initiative, and Outcomes of the environmental constraints study including Environmental and Cultural Heritage.

There will be further public consultation once a preferred scheme has been identified.

Further information will be provided on the project website, which is available at:

www.floodinfo.ie/frs/en/ballina/home/.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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100. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress to date in 2021 on the Foxford flood relief scheme, County Mayo. [50177/21]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Catchment-based Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Study for the Moy & Killala Bay River Basin (referred to as Unit of Management UOM34 under the CFRAM Programme) did not identify any properties as being predicted to flood in the design events in Foxford, and so recommended non-structural methods only for this community.

However, Foxford has since been identified as requiring a ‘Scheme Viability Review’ due to the discrepancy identified between the CFRAM Study and the subsequent December 2015 flood event. A Scheme Viability Review involves looking again at the options for the community and trying to identify any new information or discrepancies with the CFRAM Study, which may facilitate a more cost-effective scheme, and potentially result in an additional scheme being considered for the area. Regarding the proposed Foxford Flood Relief Scheme, the Office of Public Works is currently undertaking this Scheme Viability Review to determine whether a feasible scheme is possible for Foxford.

The review is nearing its conclusion and a report is expected with the findings at the end of this year (2021).