Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2014
155. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the drainage-flood relief works that are under way by the Office of Public Works in County Monaghan in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48989/14]
View answer156. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the proposals the Office of Public Works has to carry out drainage-flood relief work in County Monaghan during 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48995/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 156 together.
The Office of Public Works has responsibility for approximately 11,500 km of arterial drainage channels nationally, with about 2,200 km of these being subject to routine maintenance each year across the country as part of an ongoing programme of arterial drainage maintenance of schemes completed under the Arterial Drainage Acts. This work is carried out to ensure that the State's investment in the Arterial Drainage schemes continues to provide the intended benefits. If maintenance is not carried out then the water conveyance capacity of most channels deteriorate over a period of years. Drainage maintenance works have been undertaken by the OPW East Region in Co Monaghan in 2014 and are programmed to take place in 2015 also.
It is a matter for Monaghan County Council in the first instance to identify and address more minor or localised flooding issues in the county. The Council can apply for funding to undertake works to address such problems under the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme. Any application received is assessed under the eligibility criteria, which include a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, and having regard to the overall availability of funding. Any work for which funding is sought will be carried out by the Local Authority itself. It is also open to Monaghan County Council to carry out flood mitigation works using its own resources.
The OPW approved funding for minor works at Ballybay, Dunsinaire, Threemilehouse and Lisnagunnion and these projects were progressed by Monaghan County Council in 2014 and will continue in 2015. Applications have been submitted by Monaghan County Council for funding for minor works at Edengilrevy and at Lough Muchno, Castleblayney. The OPW will be replying to the Council on these shortly.
Three locations in Co Monaghan - Ballybay, Carrickmacross and Monaghan Town - were identified through the national Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment as locations where flood risk was potentially significant. They were therefore designated as Areas for Further Assessment under the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. The CFRAM Programme, which is focused on 300 areas of potentially significant risk, nationally, will produce detailed predictive flood mapping and identify appropriate flood risk management measures and plans. Draft predictive flood maps, for Ballybay, Carrickmacross and Monaghan Town are currently being produced by engineering consultants undertaking the North Western - Neagh Bann CFRAM Study, on behalf of the Office of Public Works, in partnership with Monaghan County Council. The flood maps will be subject to public consultation during the coming months, details of which will be advertised locally and on the Study website www.northwestcframstudy.ie. The next phase in the CFRAM Study will be the identification of appropriate flood risk mitigation options, following which, Flood Risk Management Plans will be prepared in 2015.
