Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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278. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will detail the expenditure on flood prevention measures in each of the past four years; the expenditure and location of the five most expensive schemes for each of those years; the expected completion date and final cost for each of those works, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11583/23]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The OPW delivers a programme of capital investment to address existing flood risk to properties and infrastructure through major flood relief projects, which are delivered largely in partnership with Local Authorities.

Since 1995, the OPW, together with the relevant Local Authorities, has constructed 53 major flood defence schemes throughout the country, protecting approximately 12,200 properties at a cost of some €540m, and avoiding estimated damages of €1.9bn.

The Government has committed €1.3bn to the delivery of flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the National Development Plan (NDP) to 2030 to protect approximately 23,000 properties in communities at significant risk from river and coastal flood risk. Since 2018, as part of a phased approach to scheme delivery, this funding has allowed the OPW to treble its work on flood relief schemes – to some 90 schemes at design and construction.

Today, work by the OPW is complete or underway to deliver flood protection to 80% of properties to be protected under the NDP investment programme.

The table below sets out the expenditure on the Flood Risk Management capital programme of investment from 2019-2022.

The flood relief schemes with the highest expenditure in each of those years is set out in the table below, along with the substantial completion date or expected date of substantial completion and the project budget for the scheme. Annual expenditure is only indicated in the table where the relevant flood relief scheme featured among the five schemes with the highest spend in that year. By far the greatest proportion of costs are incurred when flood relief schemes are at construction stage.