Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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64. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position as of July 2025 on the Programme for Government commitment to streamline and simplify the delivery of flood relief initiatives to address the threats posed by river and coastal flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39955/25]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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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.

To date, 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.

In 2018, the OPW completed the largest study of flood risk ever undertaken by the State: the Catchment 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.

The findings of the National CFRAM Programme are set out in a series of 29 Flood Risk Management Plans, launched in May 2018 by An Taoiseach, which include some 150 new and additional flood relief schemes. The Government has committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of these flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the National Development Plan, to protect approximately 23,000 properties in communities that are under threat from river and coastal flood risk.

Since 2018, the Government has trebled the number of flood relief schemes at design, planning, or construction to some 100 schemes. This has been achieved through the partnership delivery model between the OPW and local authorities, and by the OPW increasing the capacity of the local authority sector, where appropriate. Today, the OPW funds some 50 project management and engineering staff across the local authority sector, who are leading the delivery of flood relief schemes within their administrative areas.

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. Major flood relief schemes are large multi-annual projects and involve complex engineering and construction operations that can impact on people's living, built and natural environment. They entail extensive landowner and stakeholder engagement and detailed environmental assessments and mitigation measures. Detailed technical analysis is required to establish the most appropriate solution, technically and environmentally, from a range of possible design options. The delivery process is lengthy and follows a number of stages from feasibility through design, planning, detailed design and construction.

The OPW and its delivery partners are eager to enhance the delivery model for future flood relief schemes, and a number of initiatives are underway to facilitate this. Through Project Steering Groups and other mechanisms, the OPW and its delivery partners are constantly monitoring, knowledge-sharing, and enhancing the approach to improve the delivery of flood relief projects. For example, the OPW is piloting a new delivery model for flood relief schemes through four Tranche 2 schemes in counties Kilkenny and Donegal, which is referred to as the Tranche 2 Pilot. There are two Tranche 2 Pilot Schemes in County Kilkenny (Freshford and Piltown) and two schemes in County Donegal (Donegal Town and Letterkenny). The Tranche 2 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 to deliver flood relief schemes.

Local Authorities 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.

Some €69m in funding has been approved by the OPW for over 900 unique projects under the scheme. Completed projects are providing protection to over 7,900 properties nationwide.