Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2004
251 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Finance the outcome of the meeting between officials from the OPW and officials from Kildare County Council which was held to discuss flood relief schemes in Maynooth, Leixlip and Ardclough, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6081/04]
View answerThe Office of Public Works met officials from Kildare County Council earlier this month to discuss flooding problems at a number of locations.
The county council confirmed that it has commissioned a report on flooding at Leixlip and agreed to forward a copy of the report to OPW when available.
Works undertaken on the Lyreen and Meadowbrook rivers in the Maynooth area are complete. No further works are planned. This work was carried out by OPW as an agent of the county council.
On the issue of flooding at Ardclough, Kildare County Council agreed that insufficient information is available to address the flooding problem. Further technical and engineering data is required. The county council agreed to consider how this information might be gathered.
Flooding problems in the areas mentioned are a matter for the local authority in the first instance. OPW is happy to assist with technical advice and guidance but I must point out that no flood relief scheme is planned for any of these locations. The flood policy review which I initiated in November 2002 has now completed its work and the report of the review group will shortly be submitted to Government. I hope to be in a position to publish the report in the very near future. As well as setting out a strategy for flood management in the future, the report will clarify responsibilities of central and local government and set out criteria for prioritisation of resources on flood management measures.
