Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Flood Risk Management
Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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367. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the OPW will respond to a number of matters linked to the flooding in Killocrim, Listowel (details supplied). [46321/24]
Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for the maintenance of arterial drainage schemes and flood relief schemes completed under the Arterial Drainage Acts, 1945 and 1995, as amended. The location concerned forms part of the Feale Catchment Drainage Scheme (CDS)
There is also a proposed Flood Relief Scheme identified for Listowel, County Kerry, which will be funded under the Government's flood risk investment programme of almost €1.3 billion under the National Development Plan to 2030.
While the proposed scheme in Listowel is not in the first tranche of projects to be progressed, the OPW continues to liaise closely with Kerry County Council to ensure that the programme of flood relief projects identified for Co. Kerry is kept under review, and that all projects will be commenced as soon as possible.
As advance works ahead of the Listowel scheme, the OPW approved funding of almost €1 million to Kerry County Council in November 2023 for flood relief works in Listowel. This funding has been used for flood defences to protect some 50 properties at risk from flooding in the Clieveragh area in Listowel.
The Office of Public Works who are carrying out these works by direct labour, commenced mobilisation and vegetation clearance in February, 2024. These works are nearing completion and will include when completed an over ground storm water attenuation pond at Curraghatoosane, a new open channel to convey the outflow from the pond to the Clieveragh watercourse, a box culvert, together with biodiversity enhancements that have also been included as part of the works.
In relation to flooding at Killocrim, Listowel and the matters raised, Kerry County Council have engaged consultants to do a factual event report which is programmed to be available by the end of this month. In the interim I have been informed that significant detail would be required on the forestry location and drainage system in place to assess run-off characteristics and potential associated flood risk.
The Feale Catchment Drainage Scheme was executed for the purposes of draining lands and reducing flooding for the benefit of agricultural activities. Preliminary estimates indicated that the November flood event at Listowel and Killocrim was in excess of the 1 in 100 year return period (or 0.1% AEP) event.
While the Feale CDS did provide a level of protection to Listowel and the surrounding areas during the November flood event, the extreme severity of this particular flood event was such that it exceeded the standard of protection provided by this Catchment Drainage Scheme.
While any removal of part of the Feale Drainage Scheme requires OPW consent, the OPW has not identified any evidence to suggest that drainage scheme embankments along the northside of the Feale River, adjacent to Killocrim, were removed.
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