Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 September 2015
69. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will arrange for the Office of Public Works to examine the recent recurrence of flood damage to a property (details supplied) in County Kerry; if he will ensure that emergency remedial work is carried out to prevent this recurring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32375/15]
View answerThe river concerned does not form part of any Arterial Drainage Scheme which would fall under the remit of the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act. The OPW therefore has no responsibility for the maintenance of the channel, nor any authority to carry out works there.
Local flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each Local Authority to investigate and address, and Kerry County Council may carry out flood mitigation works using its own resources.
Glenflesk is one of 300 locations nationwide that is being assessed under the OPW's Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme the purpose of which is to implement the EU Floods Directive and national flood policy. The Programme involves the production of predictive flood risk and hazard mapping for each location, developing preliminary flood risk management options and producing flood risk management plans. Under the South Western CFRAM Study, draft predictive flood maps for Glenflesk have been produced and were the subject of a Public Consultation Day in Glenflesk on 21 October 2014. Data on the recent flood incidence in Glenflesk will be considered by the Study's engineering consultants before the flood maps are finalised following a national public consultation scheduled to be held later in 2015. Preliminary flood risk management options are being developed for Glenflesk and will be the subject of a Public Consultation Day in Glenflesk early in 2016. Further information is available on the South Western CFRAM Study website www.southwestcframstudy.ie.
