Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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204. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW will meet with the elected members of the Inishowen municipal district, Donegal County Council, as they have requested, to examine how the flood defence works at Burnfoot, County Donegal, can be advanced more speedily, in order that eight families can be returned to their council homes that were vacated for safety reasons after the August 2017 flood in the area. [6607/23]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As Minister of State for the Office of Public Works (OPW) I am open to meeting with elected members of the Inishowen municipal District in order to provide an update with regards to progress on the proposed flood relief scheme in Burnfoot, County Donegal.

I am aware and sympathetic to the issues facing the residents of Burnfoot that remain in homes at risk of flooding and those that have been relocated to alterative homes for safety reasons after the flood event in the area in August 2017. Construction of the scheme is expected to take approximately 18 months.

The implementation of a proposed Burnfoot flood relief scheme is currently being actively progressed by consultants appointed on behalf of Donegal County Council (DCC) in partnership with OPW.

The steering group incorporating the appointed consultants, DCC and OPW have now identified a preferred option for the scheme. The preferred option was displayed and explained to the public and local residents during a non-statutory public consultation day held in An Grianan Hotel, Speenoge in November 2022.

Every effort is being made by all parties to expedite the process and ensure the scheme is in place as soon as is practically possible. It is currently envisaged that the scheme following its construction will provide protection from flood risk for all properties in both Líos Na Greíne and Páirc An Grianán including those properties currently vacant in Páirc An Grianán.

As you will appreciate, delivery of flood relief schemes is a complicated process which has five distinct stages. The proposed flood relief scheme is now near the end of Stage one which includes intricate and complicated option identification and completion of outline design suitable for submission to the relevant Planning Authority. The project is currently programmed to submit for planning consent in Q3 this year.

Quarterly updates on the advancement of the proposed Burnfoot flood relief scheme are provided to elected members of the Inishowen Municipal District by the Flood Relief Scheme Unit of DCC.