Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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476. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the actions he can take to ensure flooding in Listowel, County Kerry can be eliminated (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11623/25]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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After the flood events of Storm Bert in Listowel in November, 2024, officials from my Department met with Kerry County Council to review the flood event and its impact and to develop a plan to address what measures could be put in place in advance of the larger scheme proposed for Listowel as part of the Food Risk Management Plan for this area.

As a first step it was agreed that Kerry County Council would engage consultants to complete an investigation and prepare a factual report on the flood event. A Draft flood investigation report has now been issued for review to both Kerry County Council and the OPW. Once that report is finalised my officials will assist Kerry County Council in determining what measures may be possible to implement based on the recommendations of this report.

Clieveragh Advance Works

The OPW, through Kerry County Council, is already making a significant investment of €2 million for advance measures in the Listowel area. This funding has been used for flood defences to protect some 50 properties at risk from flooding in the Clieveragh area in Listowel.

The OPW is carrying out these works by direct labour, and commenced work in February, 2024. They are currently undertaking Phase 3 of this project to ensure the scheme provides the appropriate level of protection.

Feale Catchment Drainage Scheme

The OPW also maintains the Feale Catchment Drainage Scheme, that 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 1 % AEP) event and this would be far in excess of the defence standard of an agricultural drainage scheme.

Flood Risk Management Plan for Listowel

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.

To date, the OPW has invested some €570m in 55 completed schemes that are providing protection to over 13,500 properties and an economic benefit to the State in damages and losses avoided estimated to be in the region of €2 billion.

Since 2018, a phased approach to scheme delivery, in partnership with local authorities, has allowed the OPW to treble the number of schemes at design or construction at this time to some 100 schemes. The Government has committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of these flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the National Development Plan. As well as a financial commitment to meet costs, progressing this significantly increased number of flood relief schemes requires capacity and capability in highly specialized areas of engineering.

Through three staff funded by the OPW, Kerry County Council is leading the delivery of four flood relief schemes for Tralee, Kenmare, Banna and Abbeydorney that are in the first tranche of schemes, nationally.

As it is not feasible to deliver all flood relief schemes concurrently (due to limited capacity in OPW, the local authorities, and in the specialised consultancy market), the flood-relief delivery programme was subdivided into two tranches, focusing initially on Tranche I schemes and those already in the delivery pipeline. Under the national programme, work has yet to commence on the design of some 54 Tranche II flood relief schemes. There are five further schemes planned for County Kerry, including Listowel.

Tranche II Pilot

The OPW is also piloting a new delivery model for flood relief schemes through four Tranche II schemes in counties Kilkenny and Donegal, which is referred to as the Tranche II Pilot. There are two Tranche II Pilot Schemes in County Kilkenny (Freshford and Piltown) and two schemes in County Donegal (Donegal Town and Letterkenny).

The Tranche II Pilot will transfer the management of data gathering, as a first step in designing a scheme, from consultant engineers for a single scheme to the local authorities for all schemes in the Pilot and, where feasible, within their areas of responsibility. The Pilot means that data gathering may be scaled up from individual communities to all schemes in a county. The Pilot will better inform the prioritisation of future schemes nationally and the scope of services required from consultants to design and construct flood relief schemes.

The Pilot’s Technical Working Group and Steering Group have been established, with both groups having recently met in late 2024. Significant preparatory work is underway, with the range of information and data-gathering requirements currently being considered and outlined.