Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 November 2004
247 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance the extent to which requests for funding for the alleviation of flooding at various locations throughout the country have been complied with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30286/04]
View answerThe Government is committed to a strategic flood management policy. In October, the Government approved the recommendations of the flood policy review group. This confirms the lead role of the Office of Public Works in taking a strategic approach to flood management in the future and working in co-operation with the relevant local authorities. The programme of flood relief schemes will be implemented as resources permit in the context of an integrated, long-term strategy on flood management. The strategy calls for considerable emphasis on non-structural flood management measures such as flood warning systems, flood mapping, guidelines on development and formulation of catchment flood risk management plans to foster a catchment-based approach to flood management. Account will be taken of the need to prioritise expenditure in the areas of greatest need and to be mindful of the implications of climate change.
While work has continued on the River Nore in County Kilkenny and River Tolka schemes, the Office of Public Works has conducted feasibility studies to assess flood risk and to develop flood alleviation schemes in several areas throughout the country prone to flooding. These studies have been undertaken either by the Office of Public Works engineering services or through external consultants and include such areas as Clonmel, County Tipperary, Mallow and Fermoy, County Cork, Waterford city, Carlow town, Mornington, County Meath, and Ennis, County Clare. Other areas include Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Templemore, County Tipperary, Arklow, County Wicklow, Piltown, County Kilkenny, and Tullow, County Carlow. Feasibility and pre-feasibility studies will be completed for these areas.
The Office of Public Works continues to work closely with local authorities in the development and implementation of flood relief schemes. In the likelihood that further requests for flood relief studies will be made from various local authorities following the recent floods, they will be considered by the Office of Public Works under new prioritisation criteria being developed for all flood relief works, as recommended by the flood policy review group.
