Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent)
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562. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the funding that is still allocated in relation to the €83 million of funding ringfenced for Louth County Council flood defences in 2018 (details supplied); the amount that has been spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20074/22]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The evidence provided by the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Programme, launched in May 2018, supports the Government’s €1.3bn planned investment in flood relief through the National Development Plan, as part of Project Ireland 2040. 

One key output of the CFRAM Programme was the Flood Risk Management Plans that contain proposed flood relief measures - informed by costs, benefits and environmental factors - to address the flood risk in each assessed community and nationwide.

To deliver the proposed measures set out in these Plans, Louth County Council, working with the Office of Public Works, has agreed to be the Lead Authority in the delivery of flood relief schemes at Dundalk / Blackrock South, Drogheda, Carlingford / Greenore, Baltray and Ardee, all of which are in the first tranche of projects being progressed. 

The development of flood relief schemes, overseen by project Steering Groups with representatives meeting monthly from the OPW and Louth County Council, involves five distinct, sequential and related stages. The first stage involves assessing the flood risk and identifying options, followed by planning, detailed design, construction and maintenance. Public consultation forms part of each stage and project websites, available on floodinfo.ie  provide updates on each scheme’s progress.

The Dundalk/Blackrock South and Ardee projects, that are being progressed simultaneously, were chosen by Louth County Council as the first project to be advanced in Louth. The tender for Engineering and Environmental Consultancy Services was awarded in 2020 to a joint venture between Binnies (formerly Black and Veatch) and Nicholas O ‘Dwyer.  The preliminary project cost estimate for these schemes is €80m and the proposed scheme will protect some 1,880 properties when completed and the scheme option is expected in the first half of 2023. 

In relation to the Drogheda and Baltray schemes, the tender for Engineering and Environmental Consultancy Services was awarded to RPS Consulting Engineers Ltd in September 2021. The preliminary project cost estimate for these schemes is €35m and the proposed scheme will protect some 450 properties when completed and the scheme option is expected at the end of 2023. 

The OPW are meeting Louth County Council over the coming weeks to discuss how the Carlingford and Greenore scheme should be progressed and to progress the Engineering and Environmental Consultancy Services tender brief.

The OPW, to ensure that the Council, as contracting authority has adequate resources to manage the design and construction of this scale of flood relief projects is funding five Council staff including, a Senior Executive Engineer, two Executive Engineers, an Administrative Officer and a Technician Grade 1.

Funding of just over €1.9 million has been provided to Louth County Council across these major schemes since 2019 (see details below).

Funding to Louth County Council for Major Flood Relief Schemes 2019 to 2021