Written answers
Tuesday, 20 May 2025
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Flood Relief Schemes
Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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367. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an update on each ongoing and proposed flood relief scheme in County Donegal, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25990/25]
Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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Fifteen projects were identified in County Donegal under the Flood Risk Management Plans announced in May 2018. Nine of these projects are included in the first phase of implementation (i.e. Tranche 1), in addition to one project that was already being progressed for Raphoe.
Seven of the nine projects are being delivered by Donegal County Council and the OPW currently fund five staff in the Council for that purpose.
The schemes for Raphoe and Lifford are being delivered by OPW under the Arterial Drainage Acts. Kerrykeel is an OPW design project; Donegal County Council that is leading this projects will take the preferred option through planning.
On 2 May 2023 the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, announced that the OPW would pilot a new delivery model through four Tranche 2 flood relief schemes in Donegal and Kilkenny. Specifically, the pilot involves schemes for Donegal Town and Letterkenny in County Donegal.
Following flooding in Killybegs on the night of 23rd and into the morning of 24th of November 2024 the OPW met with Donegal County Council (DCC) to review potential flood relief measures. Donegal County Council and OPW have worked together to prepare a list of potential flood relief measures and have agreed a pilot scheme to roll out their deployment. The pilot is being 100% funded by the OPW.
Aside from Killybegs and the two schemes that are named as part of the pilot (Donegal Town and Letterkenny), there are three other Tranche 2 schemes for County Donegal: those at Carndonagh, Dunfanaghy, and Rathmullan.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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368. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an update on each ongoing and proposed flood relief scheme in Cork city and county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25992/25]
Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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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 an engineering assessment for 300 communities identified as areas of potentially significant flood risk, produced a range of 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 some 150 new and additional flood relief 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, 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.
As it is not feasible to deliver all flood relief schemes concurrently, due to constraints on the specialised engineering skills, 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 50 Tranche II flood relief schemes.
There are five stages to delivering a flood relief scheme from feasibility through design, planning, and construction as follows:
- Stage 1 – Scheme Development and Preliminary Design
- Stage 2 – Planning Process or Public Exhibition & Confirmation
- Stage 3 – Detailed Design
- Stage 4 – Construction
- Stage 5 – Handover of Works.
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.
Throughout County Cork nine schemes are completed, ten schemes are currently progressing through design and construction and a further nine schemes will progress as part of the commencement of Tranche II schemes. Six of the schemes currently underway are being led by Cork County Council with nine staff funded by the OPW for the Council to project manage their delivery. Three of the four schemes in Cork City are OPW led and the OPW funds one staff member in Cork City Council to provide input and assistance across the Council to these schemes.
Once all schemes are completed, these will provide protection to 6,004 properties. Tabulated lists are given below of completed schemes (Table 1), ongoing Active Schemes with the current programme for their substantial completion (Table 2), and proposed Tranche II Schemes (Table 3), details of which are also publicly available on www.floodinfo.ie/scheme-info/.
Table 1: Completed Flood Relief Schemes
| Completed Schemes | Completion Date | Properties Protected |
|---|---|---|
| Bandon Flood Relief Scheme | 2020 | 392 |
| Clonakilty Flood Relief Scheme | 2021 | 296 |
| Douglas (incl. Togher Culvert) Flood Relief Scheme | 2022 | 221 |
| Dunmanway Flood Relief Scheme | 2003 | 35 |
| Fermoy North Flood Relief Scheme | 2011 | 77 |
| Fermoy South Flood Relief Scheme | 2016 | 187 |
| Mallow North Flood Relief Scheme | 2011 | 136 |
| Mallow South & West Flood Relief Scheme | 2022 | 94 |
| Skibbereen Flood Relief Scheme | 2019 | 312 |
Table 2: Ongoing / Active Flood Relief Schemes
| Active Schemes | Status | Substantial Completion | Properties to be protected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballinhassig Flood Relief Scheme | Stage I: Scheme Development and Preliminary Design | 2027 | 8 |
| Ballymakeera/Ballyvourney Flood Relief Scheme | Stage I: Scheme Development and Preliminary Design | 2030 | 90 |
| Bantry Flood Relief Scheme | Stage I: Scheme Development and Preliminary Design | 2033 | 198 |
| Bride River (Blackpool) Flood Relief Scheme | Stage II: Public Exhibition / Confirmation | 2029 | 293 |
| Carrigaline Flood Relief Scheme | Scoping Stage: The proposed scheme for Carrigaline Flood is under review to confirm the technical aspects and viability, and, subject to outcomes, will then progress to Outline Design and Planning. | T.B.C. | T.B.C. |
| Glashaboy (Glanmire / Sallybrook) Flood Relief Scheme | Stage IV: Implementation/Construction | 2026 | 103 |
| Lower Lee (Cork City) Flood Relief Scheme | Stage II: Public Exhibition and Confirmation | 2032 | 2,100 |
| Macroom Flood Relief Scheme | Scoping Stage: The proposed scheme for Macroom is under review to determine whether a flood protection scheme may be potentially viable and, subject to outcomes, will then progress to Outline Design and Planning. | T.B.C. | T.B.C. |
| Midleton Flood Relief Scheme | Stage I: Scheme Development and Preliminary Design | 2031 | 580 |
| Morrison’s Island Public Realm and Flood Defence Project, Cork | Stage IV: Implementation/Construction | 2026 | 410 |
Table 3: Proposed Tranche II Schemes
| Proposed / Future Schemes | Properties to be protected |
|---|---|
| Ballingeary Flood Relief Scheme | 46 |
| Castlemartyr Flood Relief Scheme | 22 |
| Castletown Bearhaven Flood Relief Scheme | 29 |
| Inchigeelagh Flood Relief Scheme | 28 |
| Inishannon Flood Relief Scheme | 42 |
| Kanturk Flood Relief Scheme | 152 |
| Rathcormac Flood Relief Scheme | 31 |
| Schull Flood Relief Scheme | 47 |
| Youghal Flood Relief Scheme | 75 |
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