Flood Relief Schemes

Tuesday, 29 September 2020

Questions (330)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

330. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of flood relief projects nationwide by county including the Morell river drainage scheme Naas, County Kildare, those already approved in respect of which funding has been allocated, those still awaiting funding, those planned in respect of the areas most recently affected by flooding; the extent to which he expects to be in a position to allocate sufficient funds to meet the planned programme in the short and medium term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26778/20]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

The Office of Public Works (OPW) in partnership with the Local Authorities, is progressing 151 flood relief projects nationwide. Approximately 90 of these are either at construction or at other stages of design or consultant appointment, while the remainder will be progressed as part of the National Development Plan 2018-2027. 119 of these projects were identified in the National Flood Risk Management Plans launched in 2018 which were in addition to projects already underway at the time. These schemes will, together with the 46 already complete, mean that 95% of at risk properties in the State will be protected by Flood Relief Schemes.

The Lower Morell Scheme has just commenced construction works in the last few weeks which brings to ten the number of schemes currently at construction, with the expectation that many more will reach this stage in the next twelve months or so. The Government has committed almost €1Billion for the implementation of these projects to the end of 2027, by which time all of these projects are expected to be progressed. During this period, OPW will continue to support Local Authorities through funding under the Minor Flood Mitigation and Coastal Protection Works Scheme, which has already funded over 580 local scale projects to protect over 7,100 properties since the Scheme commenced in 2009.

The table below sets out the number of flood relief projects in the National Development Plan for each county and those that have already been initiated.

County	Number of projects	Projects initiated
Carlow	2	1
Cavan	1	1
Clare	8	8
Cork	21	12
Donegal	16	10
Dublin	15	10
Galway	5	4
Kerry	9	4
Kildare	7	4
Kilkenny	6	2
Laois	4	3
Leitrim	4	3
Limerick	9	5
Longford	1	1
Louth	5	5
Mayo	3	3
Meath	2	2
Monaghan	3	0
Offaly	2	1
Roscommon	3	0
Sligo	1	1
Tipperary	12	5
Waterford	3	2
Westmeath	1	1
Wexford	2	2
Wicklow	6	2