Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2020
293. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the flood relief scheme in Enniscorthy, County Wexford; when he expects construction to start; if an estimate of the full costs involved will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28381/20]
View answerThe Enniscorthy (River Slaney) flood defence scheme is being progressed by Wexford County Council on behalf of the Commissioners of Public Works as a scheme under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995. This is a significant scheme within the Office of Public Works €1 billion flood relief investment programme, and on completion will protect 236 properties in the town.
The Scheme requires formal confirmation to proceed from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (MPER). This is a statutory requirement under the Arterial Drainage Acts, which now, under the recent European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Arterial Drainage) Regulations 2019, also require the MPER to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed Scheme. This now involves, inter alia, a formal review by MPER of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) prepared by the Commissioners and recently submitted (along with a Natura Impact Statement) to the MPER as part of the formal confirmation process.
The River Slaney (Enniscorthy) Flood Relief Scheme is currently awaiting formal Confirmation to proceed from The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The statutory consultation period required in relation to this process has recently been completed by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and any relevant observations will be taken into consideration. While it is not possible to give a construction start date until such time as the scheme is formally confirmed, Wexford County Council and the OPW are working together to ensure that the procurement of a Contractor for the flood relief works will be completed as soon as practicable after the confirmation of the scheme. The overall budget for the scheme is €50.7m, provision for which has been made in the OPW multi Annual Capital Budget.
