Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Government has committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the National Development Plan 2021 – 2030 for flood relief measures. In Budget 2024 the Office of Public Works, (OPW), was allocated just under €645 million of which approximately €140 million has been assigned for Climate Responsive Flood Risk Management which is sufficient to meet the current needs of this area.

Since 2018, as part of a phased approach to scheme delivery, this funding has allowed the OPW in partnership with local authorities throughout the country, to treble the number of schemes at design, planning and construction stages to some 100 schemes at this time.

Cavan County Council is the lead authority in the delivery of Cavan Town Flood Relief Scheme. The Council is working in partnership with the OPW.

Engineering and environmental consultants were appointed to the scheme in May 2022. The development of Cavan Town Flood Relief Scheme is overseen by a project Steering Group with representatives meeting monthly typically from the OPW and Cavan County Council. There are five distinct, sequential and related stages in the scheme development. Aligned to the decision gateways of the Infrastructure Guidelines these are assessing the flood risk and identifying options; seeking planning consent, detailed design, construction and maintenance. Stage 1 of the project commenced in June 2022 and Cavan County Council and the OPW are currently reviewing a number of key deliverables produced by the consultant at the end of March 2024 and the consultant is progressing with hydraulic modelling.

Funding of some €0.8 million has been provided to Cavan County Council for this project since 2019. (see table below).

In addition to the funding outlined above, since 2009, OPW has approved funding under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme of circa €463,302 to County Cavan for some 10 projects. The OPW welcome applications under this scheme and is happy to engage with Local Authorities in this regard.

The table below details the approved funding to Cavan County Council for the years requested.

The Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme was introduced by the OPW on an administrative, non-statutory basis in 2009. The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised fluvial flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short timeframe. The works to be funded are carried out under Local Authority powers, and ongoing maintenance of the completed works is the responsibility of the Council.

Under the scheme, which is demand led, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost not more than €750,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects. Applications are assessed by the OPW having regard to the specific economic, social and environmental criteria of the scheme, including a cost-benefit ratio and having regard to the availability of funding for flood risk management.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government has committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the National Development Plan 2021 – 2030 for flood relief measures. In Budget 2024 the Office of Public Works, (OPW), was allocated just under €645 million of which approximately €140 million has been assigned for Climate Responsive Flood Risk Management which is sufficient to meet the current needs of this area.

Since 2018, as part of a phased approach to scheme delivery, this funding has allowed the OPW in partnership with local authorities throughout the country, to treble the number of schemes at design, planning and construction stages to some 100 schemes at this time.

There are three proposed Flood Relief Schemes identified for County Monaghan; Ballybay, Inishkeen and Monaghan, as part of the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. The CFRAM Programme was the largest ever flood risk study carried out in the State and culminated with the launch in 2018 of 29 flood risk management plans which propose 118 new outline flood relief projects.

Given the highly specialised market for designing flood relief schemes it is not possible to progress all proposed new schemes at once. The proposed schemes in County Monaghan are not in the first tranche of projects to be progressed and the OPW continue to liaise with Monaghan County Council to ensure that the programme of flood relief projects identified for Monaghan is kept under review, and that all projects will be commenced within the timeframe for the National Development Plan.

A new delivery model for flood relief schemes is being piloted which will better inform the future scheme delivery which includes those for Co. Monaghan.

In the interim it is open to Monaghan County Council to make an application under the OPW’s Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised fluvial flooding.

This demand led scheme was introduced by the OPW on an administrative, non-statutory basis in 2009. The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised fluvial flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame. The works to be funded are carried out under Local Authority powers and ongoing maintenance of the completed works is the responsibility of the Council. The OPW welcome applications under this scheme and is happy to engage with Local Authorities in this regard.

Since 2009, OPW has approved funding under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme of circa €2.5 million to County Monaghan for some 27 projects.

The table below details the approved funding under this scheme to Monaghan County Council for the years requested.