Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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59. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the recent efforts made to progress the Blackpool flood relief scheme given the continual delays on the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38580/25]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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67. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the timeline for when the public consultation will be established in relation to the Blackpool flood relief scheme given the proposal for this project has been approved by the OPW and before it can be progressed it must also receive approval from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38715/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 67 together.

I can advise that the OPW submitted supplementary information to the Department on the 17th of April 2025. This information has been referred to the Department's consultants for examination. In parallel, my Department is also making arrangements for a period of public consultation to be held in regard to the environmental impacts of this scheme, as prescribed by the amended 1945 Act. Specific timelines for the period of public consultation will be made available on the Department's website.

In regards to broader timelines, my Department is progressing any actions required of it in a timely manner and in line with expert advice in order to ensure a robust process that is in compliance with the relevant provisions of the Act.

Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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60. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an update on the south Galway flood relief scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39681/25]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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The Office of Public Works and Galway County Council are working together on the development of the South Galway (Gort Lowlands) Flood Relief Scheme with Galway County Council acting as the lead authority. The South Galway (Gort Lowlands) Flood Relief Scheme is currently at Stage I, Scheme Development and Preliminary Design.

The combinations of river water, groundwater, swallow holes and turloughs in the karst Gort Lowlands catchment makes this area unique on an international level from an ecological perspective. Due to the intricate nature of the Gort Lowlands area, Trinity College Dublin and Geological Survey Ireland have been contributing to the development of the Scheme alongside the engineering and environmental consultants who were procured to develop a viable scheme design.

There has been a significant amount of public and stakeholder consultation with a number of public consultations taking place in 2021, in which Galway County Council (GCC) and the OPW presented the emerging preferred option. The options report was progressed towards finalisation, subject to the completion of environmental assessments. The proposed South Galway (Gort Lowlands) Flood Relief Scheme may include overland flood routes, construction of direct defences and road raising in some areas. The scheme is expected to provide protection to 115 properties; 50 residential and 65 commercial.

Environmental assessments are currently being undertaken for the preferred option, which involves an integrated mechanism to effectively move water through overflow pipes across the turloughs in this area. The EIAR is currently under review by OPW and GCC, with Natura Impact Statement (NIS) to be available for review shortly.

Knowledge sharing and consultation with the scheme consultants, Trinity College Dublin and National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) regarding an Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest (IROPI) risk due to indirect effects of hydrological changes due to the scheme took place in Q1 2025. The NPWS are currently reviewing information pertinent to the scheme and we expect to receive the outcome of their review in Q3 2025. The consultants will issue an IROPI note to the steering group pending the outcome of NPWS review of information. While submission of the scheme to planning was programmed for Q3 2025, dependant on environmental survey results, the outcome of the NPWS review and subsequent IROPI note will inform progressing any viable design option through the planning system.