Denis Naughten
Question:86. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans for flood relief in Roscommon town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44538/15]
View answerThursday, 10 December 2015
Questions (86)
Written answers
Roscommon Town is an Area for Further Assessment (AFA) under the national Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. A detailed flood risk assessment of Roscommon Town is being carried out by engineering consultants on behalf of the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the Shannon CFRAM Study, in partnership with Roscommon County Council.
Draft predictive flood maps have been produced and a Public Consultation event was held on them in Roscommon Town on 24 April, 2014. The draft maps are scheduled to be finalised following the national statutory consultation, currently on-going until 23 December, 2015. Books of draft maps are available to view at the Council's Offices and on http://maps.opw.ie/flood_draftmap_consult/. Furthermore, as part of the development of preliminary options to manage flood risk, a Public Consultation event was held in Roscommon Town on 8 December, 2015. In response to the recent flooding in the town, data will be gathered by the Shannon CFRAM consultants and taken account of as part of the option development stage of the Study. Flood Risk Management Plans for each CFRAM Study area are scheduled to be prepared during 2016.
Local flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each local authority to investigate and address.
The Council may also apply to the OPW for funding of flood mitigation works under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. This purpose of this scheme is to provide funding to local authorities to undertake minor works to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies to relatively straightforward cases where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame. Under the scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost no more than €500,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects, with the balance being funded by the local authority concerned. Any application received will be considered in accordance with the scheme eligibility criteria, including a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, and having regard to the overall availability of resources for flood risk management. Since 2010 funding of €457,200 has been approved under the OPW's Minor Works and Coastal Protection Scheme for flood mitigation works on the River Jiggy in Roscommon Town.