Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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The OPW is co-ordinating Ireland’s whole of Government sectoral approach to flood risk management, through the Interdepartmental Flood Policy Co-ordination Group, across three strategic and policy areas:

• Prevention - avoiding construction in flood-prone areas,
• Protection - taking feasible measures to protect areas against flooding,
• Preparedness - planning and responding to reduce the impacts of flood events.

The OPW is also the national authority for the implementation of the EU Floods Directive and undertakes key steps of analysis and planning as required by the Directive, including carrying out flood risk assessments, preparing flood hazard and risk maps and preparing flood risk management plans.

In 2018, the OPW completed the largest study of flood risk ever undertaken by the State to identify those communities that are at risk from significant flood events. The Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme and the subsequent Flood Risk Management Plans has provided the roadmap for the Government’s investment in flood relief schemes.

€1.3 billion has been committed over the lifetime of the National Development Plan to 2030 to protect approximately 23,000 properties in threatened communities from river and coastal flood risk. Today, work by the OPW is complete or underway to deliver protection to 80% of properties assessed to be at risk, with further schemes planned. When all schemes are completed, 95% of assessed properties will be protected from future flooding.

To complement the delivery of these major schemes, the OPW’s Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme provides funding to Local Authorities to provide local flooding solutions. Over 900 such projects have been approved, with allocated funding of some €69 million since 2009.

One of the many effects of climate change is that significant flooding events across Ireland will likely increase. The OPW’s Climate Change Sectoral Adaptation Plan for Flood Risk Management 2019 – 2024 sets out a number of actions to address these challenges. All new flood relief schemes are designed to take account of climate change and plans are being developed for the adaptation of existing schemes. In addition, the development of flood relief schemes now involves a specific requirement to assess the potential for nature-based solutions as part of the overall solution to managing flood risk for a particular community.

The OPW has a statutory duty to maintain Arterial Drainage Schemes in proper repair and effective condition through an ongoing programme of maintenance in line with best environmental practice. The OPW’s arterial drainage schemes provide drainage outfall for over 260,000 hectares of agricultural lands and comprises 11,500km of river channel and approximately 800km of embankments. Arterial drainage maintenance is an ongoing programme of works of a cyclical nature. Approximately 200km of embankments are maintained on an annual basis, with the average channel requiring maintenance every four to six years. Overall, these works are providing a level of protection from flooding to urban areas and critical infrastructure, including in excess of 20,000 properties.