Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 February 2014
343. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Office of Public Works' plans to provide adequate flood defences for the area of King's Island in Limerick city following the devastating flood damage of 1 February 2014. [9218/14]
View answer344. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the time the Office of Public Works estimates that flood defence plans at King's Island, Limerick, will take to steer through the planning process. [9219/14]
View answer345. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Office of Public Works will fast-track flood defence plans for King's Island in Limerick city, considering the fact that reports have already been completed for the area as part of the local regeneration plan. [9220/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 343 to 345, inclusive, together.
Along with my colleague, the Minister for Finance, I visited the King's Island area of Limerick on 3rd February and witnessed at first hand the devastation suffered by the people of the area as a result of the flooding from the river Shannon.
I made it clear on that day that this Government will do everything possible to prevent a recurrence of this terrible event for the communities in the area. A decision was made immediately to install temporary flood defences along the banks of the river, with the work being done by the local authority and funded by the OPW. The Department of Social Protection also came to the immediate assistance of the people affected through its Humanitarian Assistance Scheme.
In relation to the longer term solution, at a meeting which the Minister for Finance and I attended that day with officials from Limerick City Council, various options for addressing the situation were considered. One option which was discussed was that the provision of permanent flood defences to protect the vulnerable areas of King's Island would be incorporated into the Regeneration Project for the area with technical advice and funding for the flood defence work to be provided by the OPW. This approach would ensure that the timescales for the flood defence plans and the Regeneration Project were fully integrated and would facilitate a properly coherent approach to the redevelopment and protection of the area.
Limerick City Council is the lead authority for the planning and advancement of the Regeneration Project for the St Mary's Park/Kings Island area and it would have more details on the current status of and timelines for the project.
