Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 May 2014
109. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the cost of raising public roads and the economic loss resulting from flooding to agricultural land have been considered when arriving at the conclusion that the economic argument is tilted in favour of raising the railway line (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20609/14]
View answerAs I indicated in my reply to Question no: 239 on Wednesday, 30 April, 2014, the preferred solution identified by Iarnród Éireann's (IE) consultants for flooding at Ballycar Lough involved a piped culvert to increase the discharge from the Lough, with an eventual discharge into a back-drain system behind flood-defence embankments maintained by the Office of Public Works (OPW). This increased discharge would only commence when the flood level would threaten the railway line, at which point much of the land in the area would already be flooded. The degree of benefit to be conferred on agricultural lands at Ballycar would therefore be insignificant, and would almost certainly be exceeded by the losses arising from the probable worsening of flooding on the lands downstream.
It is a matter for the local authorities in the first instance to investigate and address flooding issues locally. It is therefore a matter for Clare County Council to consider the question of raising the public road to facilitate access to the houses near Ballycar. It should also be remembered that the IE preferred solution would also pose a threat to low-lying critical transport infrastructure located within the downstream area, and that this threat renders extremely problematic the feasibility of this proposed solution.
