John Bruton
Question:136 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment the extent to which he has responsibility for engineering works on rivers which are necessary to relieve flooding of houses.
Written Answers. - Flood Relief.
While local authorities are empowered under the Local Authorities (Works) Act, 1949, to execute works affording relief or protection from flooding, the Minister for the Environment has no substantive involvement — by way of grant assistance or otherwise — with these provisions. Grants from the Environment Vote to local authorities for public water supply and sewerage schemes address flood relief requirements only in the context of measures to relieve surcharging of existing drainage networks in built-up areas. These grants would not normally extend to river or tidal flood relief works.