Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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391. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of increasing the funding for flood defences by 2%, 5% and 10%. [39208/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Office of Public Works, as the lead agency for flood risk management, is coordinating the delivery of measures towards meeting the Government’s National Flood Risk Policy.

In 2018, the OPW completed the largest study of flood risk ever undertaken by the State: the Catchment-based Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. The CFRAM Programme studied 80% of Ireland’s primary flood risk and identified solutions that can protect over 95% of that risk. Some 150 new and additional flood relief schemes were identified through this Programme.

Flood relief schemes are large, complex multiannual projects. They require detailed analysis of the sources and causes of flooding. They involve extensive landowner and stakeholder engagement and detailed environmental assessments and mitigation measures. While expenditure on each project in any year is dependent on many variables, the majority of expenditure for flood relief projects is incurred during the construction phase. Throughout the scheme-delivery stages, project budgets of flood relief schemes are continually monitored and reviewed by the OPW.

Since 1995, the OPW has invested some €570m in 55 completed schemes that are providing protection to over 13,500 properties and an economic benefit to the State in damages and losses avoided estimated to be in the region of €2 billion.

Since 2018, a phased approach to scheme delivery, in partnership with Local Authorities, has allowed the OPW to treble the number of schemes at design, planning, or construction at this time to some 100 schemes. The Government has committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of these flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the National Development Plan. As well as a financial commitment to meet costs, progressing this significantly increased number of flood relief schemes requires capacity and capability in highly specialized areas of engineering, such as hydrology.

Expenditure in the earlier stages of a project (Scoping, Scheme Development and Preliminary Design, Planning Process, and Detailed Design) represents a small proportion of the overall budget of a flood relief scheme. Schemes at the construction phase of a project incur the greatest expenditure, and there is no legislative or regulatory means of fast-tracking schemes to this stage. There are currently 11 schemes at construction.

Investment of some €430m has taken place on flood relief scheme measures from 2018 to the end of 2024. In the coming years, further schemes will progress through the project stages, will attain planning permission, and will begin construction, requiring increased annual expenditure. As the overall delivery programme advances, the OPW engages with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation regarding capital and current funding requirements through the annual budget process. The OPW is continually profiling its funding requirements based on progress with the delivery each individual project.

On the basis of the OPW’s assessment at this time, the breakdown of the estimated expenditure profile for 2025, together with the associated cost of a 2%, 5% and 10% funding increase in flood relief measures, is shown below in tabular form.

The annual outturn of expenditure of flood relief schemes can be dependent on a range of constraints some of which are outside of the direct control of the OPW and the local authorities, including for example judicial reviews, landowner agreements and ground conditions.