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

The OPW is coordinating the delivery of measures towards meeting the Government’s National Flood Risk Policy. A broad range of structural and non-structural measures are being implemented to address flood risk under an approach structured around three pillars:

• Prevention: e.g. avoiding inappropriate development in flood-prone area;
• Protection: e.g. taking feasible measures, both structural and non-structural, to reduce the likelihood and impact of floods;
• Preparedness: e.g. informing the public about dealing with flood risk and flood planning and responding to reduce the impacts of flood events.

These policy areas are supported by the collection of relevant data, the development of relevant science and evidence, and the undertaking of assessments to inform where flood risk, now and into the future, needs to be addressed.

In 2018, the OPW completed the National Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme - the largest ever flood risk study in Ireland to date. This study involved a detailed engineering assessment for 300 communities identified as areas of potentially significant flood risk, produced a range of detailed flood maps for potential future as well as present-day conditions, and resulted in 29 Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) which are published on the OPW flood portal, www.floodinfo.ie.

The 29 FRMPs set out both structural and non-structural measures to manage the flood risk in the communities at potentially significant flood risk and elsewhere around the country. The FRMPs identified 119 proposed schemes to protect 95% of the properties at risk within those communities, together with the evidence to prioritise their delivery where the benefit is greatest. The residual risk is being addressed by the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme, Individual Property Protection, Voluntary Homeowners Relocation Scheme, enhanced preparedness and flood forecasting.

The Government has committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the National Development Plan 2021 – 2030 to protect approximately 23,000 properties in communities that are under threat from river and coastal flood risk. Since 2018, as part of a phased approach to scheme delivery, this funding has allowed the OPW, in partnership with local authorities throughout the country, to treble the number of schemes at design, planning or construction to some 100 schemes at this time.

Nationally, 55 schemes have been completed to date which are providing protection to over 13,500 properties and an economic benefit to the State in damage and losses avoided estimated to be in the region of €2 billion. Consequently, work to protect 80% of all at-risk properties nationally is completed or underway.

The OPW has completed nine flood relief schemes in County Cork: Bandon, Clonakilty, Douglas, Dunmanway, Fermoy North, Fermoy South, Mallow North, Mallow South & West, and Skibbereen flood relief schemes. These completed schemes protect 1,750 properties from flooding.

Currently, there are ten major flood relief schemes underway in County Cork: Ballinhassig, Ballymakeera/Ballyvourney, Bantry, Blackpool, Carrigaline, Glashaboy, Cork City (Lower Lee), Macroom, Midleton, and Morrison’s Island. Once completed, these ten projects will provide protection to a further 3,700 properties, with an economic benefit to the State in damage and losses avoided estimated to be in the region of €380m.

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. The prioritisation of the first tranche of schemes was based on three criteria including: scale of projects, capacity to deliver a national programme, and maximising return on investment by reference to property numbers. Under the national programme, work has yet to commence on the design of some 54 Tranche II flood relief schemes. There are nine further schemes planned for County Cork, where funding is committed, which are classified as Tranche II projects. These projects are at: Ballingeary, Castlemartyr, Castletown Bearhaven, Inchigeelagh, Inishannon, Kanturk, Rathcormac, Schull, and Youghal. Once completed, these projects will protect a further 470 properties in County Cork.

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 met recently in 2025. Significant preparatory work is underway, with the range of information and data-gathering requirements currently being considered and outlined.

It is also worth noting that local flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each Local Authority to investigate and address, and Cork County Council or Cork City Council may carry out flood mitigation works using its own resources.

A Local Authority may also apply to the OPW for funding of flood mitigation works under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. The purpose of this scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas.

The scheme generally applies to relatively straightforward cases where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame. Under the scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost not more than €750,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects, with the balance being funded by the Local Authority concerned. Any application received will be considered in accordance with the scheme eligibility criteria, which comprise economic, social and environmental criteria, including a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, and having regard to the overall availability of resources for flood risk management.

Since 2009, the OPW has approved funding under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme of circa €6.8 million to County Cork for some 50 projects.