Denis Naughten
Question:87. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans for flood relief in Ballinasloe town in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44539/15]
View answerThursday, 10 December 2015
Questions (87)
Written answers
Ballinasloe is an Area for Further Assessment (AFA) under the national Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. A detailed flood risk assessment of Ballinasloe 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 the draft maps in Ballinasloe on 26 February, 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/. In response to the recent flooding in Ballinasloe, data will be gathered by the Shannon CFRAM consultants and taken account of as part of the option development stage of the Study. As part of the preliminary options development process, a Public Consultation event will be held in Ballinasloe early in 2016. Flood Risk Management Plans, which are scheduled for completion by the end of 2016, will include a prioritised list of measures, both structural and non-structural, to address flood risk in an environmentally sustainable and cost effective manner.
Very significant funding, totalling €1.9 million, has been approved from 2010 to date by the OPW to Galway County Council under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme, in respect of flood mitigation works in Ballinasloe area.