Written answers
Tuesday, 4 November 2025
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Flood Relief Schemes
Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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545. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to provide 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. [58598/25]
Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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In 2018 the Flood Risk Management Plans identified some 150 flood relief schemes are required to manage the signficant risk from flooding. Since then, the OPW has trebled, to some 100, the number of flood relief schemes at design and construction. These are in the first tranche of schemes and commencing work on the Tranche 2 schemes is constrained by the availability of specialised engineering skills for designing flood relief schemes.
Sixteen flood relief schemes were identified in County Donegal under the Flood Risk Management Plans announced in May 2018. Twelve of these projects are included in the first phase of implementation (i.e. Tranche 1) and details of these are set out under in tabular form. Killybegs, Carndonagh, Dunfanaghy, and Rathmullan are Tranche 2 schemes.
Nine of the current tranche of twelve projects are being delivered by Donegal County Council and the OPW currently fund five staff in the Council for that purpose. Two of these schemes are for Donegal Town and Letterkenny. On 2nd 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, including Donegal Town and Letterkenny.
The schemes for Raphoe and Lifford are being delivered by the OPW under the Arterial Drainage Acts. The design for the scheme in Kerrykeel is being led by the OPW with Donegal County Council to take the preferred option through planning.
Following flooding in Killybegs on the night of 23rd and into the morning of 24th November 2024 the OPW met with Donegal County Council (DCC) to review potential flood relief measures. Donegal County Council (DCC) 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.
Donegal County Council got approval for the first phase of works to undertake channel clearance, removal of overhanging vegetation and storm debris and to undertake an assessment of the drainage network together with supply and installation of non-return valves on DCC owned roads drainage system and drainage works.
Clearance works have now been completed, and the drainage network has been assessed on the ground. Installation of non-return valves remains under review and may require further amendments to the network prior to completion. This work will continue subject to further local assessment of both the network and resourcing.
DCC also got approval to engage consultants to undertake a Hydrological review of the CFRAM (Catchment-based Flood Risk Assessment and Management) data updating it to include the November 2024 event as well as the 2017 event (if possible) such that 2024 and 2017 return periods are estimated and design flows updated accordingly as necessary. The main output of the assessment is to prioritise short and medium term measures that could be undertaken, subject to planning consent.
| Raphoe Flood Relief Scheme The proposed flood relief scheme for Raphoe has an estimated budget of €12 million and when built, this scheme will protect 387 properties. The scheme has been submitted to the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastucture, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation under the Arterial Drainage Acts for statutory confirmation. |
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| Lifford Flood Relief Scheme The Lifford flood relief scheme has an estimated budget of €17.5 million and when built, this scheme will protect 67 properties. The design of the scheme is at an advanced stage and is programmed to be submitted to the relevant planning authority in Q1 2027. |
| Castlefinn Flood Relief Scheme The Castlefinn flood relief scheme has an estimated budget of €8.2 million and when built, this scheme will protect 33 properties. The design for the scheme has been identified and work is underway to submit this scheme to planning in the first part of 2026. |
| Na Dúnaibh (Downings) Flood Relief Scheme The Na Dúnaibh (Downings) flood relief scheme has an estimated budget of €6.5 million and when built will protect 58 properties. The design for this scheme is at an advanced stage and is due to be completed in the first part of 2026 and submission to planning during the first half of 2026. |
| Glenties Flood Relief Scheme The Glenties Flood Relief scheme has an estimated budget of €0.5 million and when built it will protect 8 properties. The scheme design is at an advanced stage. A nature based solution is being considered as part of the scheme's design and this option is being further considered in November 2025. |
| Burnfoot Flood Relief Scheme The Burnfoot Flood Relief scheme has an estimated budget of €13.6 million and when built will protect 49 properties. The option for this scheme is due to be submitted for planning consent in early 2026. |
| Ballybofey-Stranorlar Flood Relief Scheme The Ballybofey-Stranorlar flood relief scheme has an estimated budget of €4.4 million and when built will protect 59 properties. The process to identify a design option is progressing, with a final design expected to be identified by the end of 2026 and thereafter submitted for planning consent. |
| Buncrana Flood Relief Scheme The Buncrana flood relief scheme has an estimated budget of €6.8 million and when built will protect 32 properties. Work on the design of the scheme is progressing and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. |
| Kerrykeel Flood Relief Scheme The Kerrykeel flood relief scheme has an estimated budget of €1 million and when built will protect 13 properties. OPW is currently progressing the options development, as well as numerous surveys and reports for the completion of the scheme design. Subject to a successful and timely planning process, currently it is envisaged that construction of the scheme will begin in 2027. |
| Ramelton Flood Relief Scheme The Ramelton flood relief scheme has an estimated budget of €12.1 million and when built will protect 37 properties. The design of the scheme is at an advanced stage and a final option is expected by the end of 2026. |
| Letterkenny Flood Relief Scheme Donegal County Council has been meeting with local stakeholders and assessing data requirements and availability for the Letterkenny scheme. Work has also commenced to develop the scope for data survey contracts with the aim of procuring these in 2025. |
| Donegal Town Flood Relief Scheme Donegal County Council has been meeting with local stakeholders and assessing the data requirements and availability for the Donegal Town scheme. Work has also commenced to develop the scope for data survey contracts with the aim of procuring these in 2025. |
Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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546. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to provide 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. [58602/25]
Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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553. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an update of any flood relief works taking place in Cork county and city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59021/25]
Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 546 and 553 together.
In 2018, the Office of Public Works, (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. 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 to protect some 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, 56 schemes have been completed to date which are providing protection to over 13,580 properties and an economic benefit to the State in damages 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.
Throughout County Cork nine schemes are completed, ten schemes are currently progressing through design and construction and a further nine schemes are 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 over 6,000 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 | 2013 | 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 II: Planning Process | 2031 | 750 |
| Morrison’s Island Public Realm and Flood Defence Project, Cork | Stage IV: Implementation/Construction | 2026 | 410 |
| 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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