As the Deputy will be aware, work has been ongoing on the interim flood alleviation measures on the River Tolka, in the Glasnevin and Drumcondra areas of Dublin city, since January of this year. Some of the embankments have been constructed at this stage, most notably on the left bank immediately upstream of Drumcondra Bridge and further upstream in Griffith Park. The landscaping of these embankments is due to take place in the next two weeks. The replacement of Woodville Road footbridge is under way and is expected to be completed in June of this year. The construction and raising of some walls has commenced and most of the walls in the vicinity of Drumcondra Bridge will be completed by the end of June. A new wall behind the school on Botanic Avenue will be constructed during the summer holidays. The ground level between the senior citizens' accommodation and Tolka Park has been raised and construction on the wall to support this will commence later this month. The maintenance cleaning of the channel from Distillery Weir to Glasnevin Bridge has been completed.
I am informed by my officials that Dublin City Council, which is the contracting authority for the greater Dublin drainage study, which includes a full study on the River Tolka, expects to receive a draft technical report from the consultants, M.C. O'Sullivan & Company later this month. This will require detailed technical examination by the contracting authority and the Office of Public Works. While the draft technical report is being considered the consultants will carry out an evaluation of the issues raised in third party submissions and will also complete a cost-benefit analysis on the recommended scheme. The contracting authority expects a draft final report before the end of July.
When the full report is completed, it should provide additional information on the entire catchment of the Tolka and this along with the items in the interim report, which have not yet been implemented, will provide the basis on which decisions will be made on further flood alleviation measures. Decisions on the provision of funding for a flood relief scheme on the catchment can only be made when the final report has been fully examined.
The Office of Public Works is funding the Tolka element of the greater Dublin strategic drainage study at a cost of €870,000. The total cost of the works being implemented in the Dublin city area of the Tolka is expected to be in the region of €700,000. The Office of Public Works also provided €5 million towards the humanitarian aid scheme following the severe flooding in November 2002, a large part of which was paid out to victims of flooding in the Dublin area from the River Tolka.
