Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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122. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an update on any flood remediation works and arterial drainage works planned for Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16066/25]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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Through the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Programme, (CFRAM), the largest study of flood risk was completed by the Office of Public Works (OPW), in 2018. Since 2018, and working with local authorities, the OPW has trebled, to some 100, the number of flood relief schemes at design and construction.

Cavan County Council is the lead authority for the delivery of Cavan Town Flood Relief Scheme. The OPW is funding 1.5 staff members in Cavan County Council to lead the delivery of flood projects across the county and 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. Public consultation forms part of the design and planning stages and the project website available on floodinfo.ie provides updates on the schemes progress.

Emerging options for the scheme are expected in Q3 2025 and the next public consultation day is planned for Q4 2025. The preferred option, once selected, is due to be submitted for planning in Q2 2027. This scheme is funded by the OPW from the Government's €1.3bn investment in flood measures under the National Development Plan to 2030.

Since 2009, OPW has approved funding under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme of circa €463,000 to County Cavan for some 10 projects.

As it is not feasible to deliver all flood relief schemes concurrently, due to limited capacity of specialised engineering and other skills for the design of flood relief schemes, the national delivery programme was subdivided into two tranches, focusing initially on Tranche I schemes and those, in 2018, already in the delivery pipeline. Under the national programme, work has yet to commence on the design of some 50 Tranche II flood relief schemes.

The proposed schemes in County Monaghan; Ballybay, Inishkeen and Monaghan, are not in the first tranche of projects to be progressed. The OPW is piloting a new delivery model for flood relief schemes through four Tranche II schemes in counties Kilkenny and Donegal. 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 administrative areas. 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, including Ballybay, Inishkeen and Monaghan, and the scope of services required from consultants to design and construct flood relief schemes. Significant preparatory work is underway, with the Pilot schemes’ range of information and data-gathering requirements currently being considered and outlined.

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.

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 OPW is responsible for the maintenance of arterial drainage schemes completed under the Arterial Drainage Acts, 1945 and 1995, as amended.

In relation to the planned Arterial Drainage works in Cavan and Monaghan, the OPW Annual Maintenance Programme for 2025 includes maintenance in County Cavan and County Monaghan on the Boyne, Glyde & Dee, Inny and Monaghan Blackwater Arterial Drainage Schemes. The Annual Maintenance Programme is available to view on OPW’s website.