I propose to take Questions Nos. 255, 257 and 361 together.
The Office of Public Works is advancing a programme of Flood Risk Management measures in co-operation with other relevant Departments and the Local Authorities.
OPW has a programme of works at various stages of design and execution to deal with localised flood risk from rivers. These are being undertaken in partnership with the responsible Local Authorities. OPW also maintains rivers and channels, which are part of Arterial Drainage Schemes constructed since 1945. Local Authorities have responsibility for the maintenance of certain rivers, where drainage works were completed prior to 1945.
OPW is also undertaking a number of measures in furtherance of the Government policy of preventing the creation of future risk where possible. These include the preparation, in partnership with the Department of Environment, Heritage, and Local Government, of Guidance on the Management of Flood Risk in Planning and Development and the preparation of Catchment Flood Risk Management Plans, which will include predictive flood hazard and flood risk maps. The Commissioners have published historic flood risk maps at www.floodmaps.ie as well as information for people who may be at risk of flooding, on how to plan and prepare to protect their property and mitigate loss at www.flooding.ie, and have assisted the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in drafting best practice procedure guidelines for Local Authorities for the management of emergency response to flood events.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, deals with coastal flood risk and is developing flood risk maps in respect of coastal areas. It also deals with coastal erosion, which is sometimes associated with flooding.
The recent flooding in August and September which occurred in several areas including some on the Northside of Dublin, was mainly due to the inability of the urban drainage systems in the various areas to convey the exceptional volumes of water resulting from the concentrated heavy downpours, where in some cases almost a month's rainfall fell in a period of 4-6 hours, rather than from rivers for which the Office of Public Works (OPW) has direct responsibility. OPW officials are, however, examining the matter and any measures considered necessary will be discussed with the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which together with Local Authorities has responsibility for urban drainage systems.
OPW, together with Dublin City Council, is confident that the measures undertaken since the completion of the River Tolka Flooding Report in 2003 have brought the level of protection in the Distillery Road area up to the accepted standard of protection, i.e. protection against a flood with a 1% probability of occurring in any given year. All of the recommendations contained in the Report for that area have now been implemented.
Local residents from the Tolka Road area asked Dublin City Council in 2006 to have the wall replaced on the right bank downstream of Distillery Bridge to Luke Kelly Bridge. The Council had the existing wall assessed as a result, and the assessment confirmed that the wall was in good condition. In the circumstances, therefore, the replacement of the wall could not be undertaken as a flood relief measure by the OPW under the Flood Relief Programme.