Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 February 2024
93. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for an update on the Blackpool and Glashaboy flood relief schemes in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5519/24]
View answerI ask the Minister for an update on both the Blackpool and Glashaboy flood relief schemes in County Cork.
I will again give some brief background on the planning environment relating to this. This scheme was submitted for confirmation by the OPW in August 2018 under the Arterial Drainage Act 1945.
In early 2021, the scheme received ministerial confirmation under section 7 of the regulations. It was then subject to judicial review, during which a stay was also granted on works being carried out pending the resolution of these proceedings. In early 2022 and acting on legal advice, my Department conceded the matter on a single ground related to public consultation procedures as part of the confirmation process and consented to an order reverting the evaluation of the Blackpool flood relief scheme to an earlier phase of the project. A request for supplementary information was subsequently made to the Office of Public Works under section 7B(4) of the regulations, to which the OPW complied by supplying information in October 2022. Following an examination of all material provided to date, the environmental consultants retained by my Department recommended that a further supplementary information request be made to the OPW. This request was made in November 2023 and the OPW is now progressing this accordingly. Once the information has been received, a further period of public consultation will be held.
Regarding the Glashaboy flood relief scheme for Glanmire, the Office of Public Works, in consultation with Cork City Council, is engaging proactively to progress the scheme. The scheme received ministerial consent in January 2021, is funded from the national development plan to 2030 and will provide flood relief and protection to some 100 properties. In April 2023, Cork City Council, following a successful tender competition, awarded the project to Sorensen Civil Engineering. I can provide the Deputy with a further update on that scheme in a moment, if he so wishes.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
In July 2023, Sorensen Civil Engineering mobilised on site and carried out site investigation works, working with utility providers to agree diversions and engaging with stakeholders. The contractor continues to progress the flood protection works in a number of different locations throughout the scheme area. The construction programme is anticipated to take 32 months, with the works split up into several zones to minimise disruption to the public and businesses. A steering group with representatives from Cork city and county councils, the consultant engineers and the OPW meets monthly to review the progress in and performance of the delivery of this scheme. The schedule for the next three months of work is available on a dedicated web page on the project website, which has been set up to provide updates to the public throughout the works.
Following the significant flooding that occurred during Storm Babet, the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Deputy O'Donovan, visited the area and met the local authority to discuss the impact from the storm event and progressing the construction of the scheme. The project team is currently considering all interventions or mitigations that may be beneficial to mitigate flooding until the scheme is complete. After Storm Babet, members of the project team met the Copper Valley Vue residents association and discussed proposals for temporary works prior to construction of the permanent flood relief scheme works. At the end of 2023, interim mitigation measures were installed to help protect homes on Copper Valley Vue until the flood defence scheme was fully completed in the area. These measures include a raised ramp at the entrance to Copper Valley Vue and temporary flood defence barriers within the estate. These interim works were completed by Sorensen Civil Engineering in December 2023.
I live in Glanmire, so I am more familiar with the Glashaboy scheme. The progress being made there is welcome. There are some traffic issues delaying people going to work, school and so on, but they understand that it is a necessary evil. The protection that the scheme will provide to many homes and businesses in Glanmire is something that I and, to be fair, other Deputies have advocated for for a long time.
My concern centres around the Blackpool flood relief scheme. I am familiar with all of the details that the Minister mentioned. I am just trying to stress the urgency of the situation for the people living in Blackpool. We are in February and, judging by today’s rainfall, there is still considerable risk to people living and running businesses in the area. They have been flooded four or five times already. The delays do not all necessarily lie at the Government’s door, but I need to once again stress the urgency in initiating the next round of public consultation as quickly as we can.
Absolutely. I fully appreciate the sensitivity of these concerns to communities, which are looking to get protection and to see the risk of flooding mitigated. The scheme has already been subject to judicial review and demonstrates clearly the sensitivity and legal care that needs to be taken in these matters.
I find myself in the position of speaking while my Department has a regulatory and approval role that is scrutinised and of which I need to be mindful. At this point, I will simply recognise for the Deputy the importance of this scheme. Were I to say anything that would indicate that any procedures could be undermined or could not be followed fully in future, it would do a great disservice to the community that the Deputy is representing. I am fully aware of the concerns that exist. To try to respond to that, I will ensure that the right processes are implemented in as efficient and timely a way as possible.
I thank the Minister. I would not want to undermine any process that is under way. Thank goes without saying.
Of course.
At the same time, though, I find myself dealing with many of these planning quagmires that we encounter and discuss. Blackpool aside, I will make a general point. We seem to discuss processes and respecting the process rather than the material subject at hand and the real difference it will make once undertaken. I am highlighting this issue once more so that the foot is not taken off the pedal. The scheme is urgently required, and the vast majority of people in the area recognise that.
Another flood relief scheme was mentioned in the media recently. The Midleton flood relief scheme finally seems to be moving. People elsewhere can see the quick progress being made on it. Midleton and the wider east Cork area experienced major flooding a couple of months ago, but people looking in at the progress it is making ask where their schemes are. I make this point to reiterate the urgency.
Point taken. For the purposes of complete precision, I recognise the Deputy’s full recognition of, respect for and understanding of the independent processes. What he is justifiably doing as an Oireachtas Member representing this community is making the case for urgency and for the scheme to be moved forward through the independent processes as quickly as possible.
I speak on behalf of the approval body, which is why I am being so careful about what I say. All of the processes in respect of this matter and the relevant legal requirements have to be, and will be, fully implemented. I recognise the concern that the Deputy has about this and the anxiety that the communities he represents have on this matter. That is only compounded when people can see progress being made on other significant flooding schemes in other parties of the county – flooding relief schemes that we know can and will work. I understand that fully.
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.
