Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

494. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he, along with the Office of Public Works, will detail the extent to which the town of Shannon, County Clare, has flooded since the 1960s; the future flooding events predicted to happen in this town as global sea levels rise; the mitigating measures that have been and will be put in place to protect the town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12381/25]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for leading and co-ordinating the implementation of Ireland’s national flood policy, which includes the development of a planned programme of feasible works for flood relief schemes.

In 2018, to facilitate the development of a programme of works, the OPW completed a strategic study - the national Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) programme. The CFRAM programme resulted in the publication of 29 Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs), which identified and described the flood risk in various river basins (including the Shannon Estuary North & Mal River Basin and the town of Shannon) and potentially viable flood relief works.

Shannon Co. Clare is exposed to both fluvial and coastal flood risk, and has experienced major historical flood events in 1999, 2000 and 2005, which were caused by surface water runoff and tidal water. Other instances of flooding occurred in 2009, 2014 and 2023 including overtopping of local embankments.

The 2018 FRMP, concluded that a Flood Relief Scheme (FRS) should be developed for Shannon town. To facilitate the progression of potentially viable flood relief works in Shannon, Clare County Council (the Council) agreed, with the support of the OPW, to lead the further detailed assessment of the flood risk, design options and environmental assessments to support a planning application for a viable scheme. Additionally, the Council engaged the services of an engineering consultant to facilitate the progression of the Shannon Town and Environs Flood Relief Scheme (“the Scheme”).

The target standard of protection of the Scheme is to prevent flooding of properties within the Scheme area during flood events with a 1% annual exceedance probability for fluvial floods and 0.1% annual exceedance probability for tidal / coastal floods, often referred to as 100-year and 1000-year flood events, respectively.

The Scheme is currently at Stage 1 preliminary design, and it is envisaged that the Scheme’s preferred design option will be finalised prior to Q2 2025 and will be submitted by the Council for planning approval to An Bord Pleanála in Q4 2025. The preferred design option for the Scheme currently includes coastal defences (e.g. embankments, flood walls and rock armour) and fluvial defences (e.g. embankments, flood walls and culvert upgrades) along various rivers including Urlan Beg River, Clonloghan River, Culleen River and Mogullaan River.

The Scheme when completed will provide protection to some 1,400 properties and while the properties at risk from climate change are under review the Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the scheme will provide protection to those properties at risk from climate change.

In addition to the main Scheme, the OPW has previously provided funding to the Council through the OPW’s Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme to address flooding risks in Shannon including funding to strengthen an embankment near Shannon airport. The purpose of the OPW’s Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme is to provide 90% funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies, up to €750,000, to address localised fluvial flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. While the main Scheme is being progressed, it remains open to the Council to apply to the OPW for funding through its Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme in the event that the Council considers further interim measures are required while the main Scheme is being progressed.

The OPW is responsible for maintaining arterial drainage schemes completed under the Arterial Drainage Acts of 1945 and 1955, as amended, including the Shannon Embankments North schemes. These embankments were originally built for agricultural purposes and, while they offer some flood protection, they are not designed to modern engineering standards for property protection. The OPW also notes that Shannon Airport Authority has undertaken upgrades to embankments under its ownership at Shannon Airport.