Joe Carey
Question:101. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of progress to complete the Ennis South Flood Relief Scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18416/21]
View answerWednesday, 21 April 2021
Questions (101)
Written answers
The Ennis South Flood Relief Scheme is being advanced by Clare County Council, with support and funding provided by the Office of Public Works. Ryan Hanley are the engineering consultants and the construction contract is being progressed by Ward & Burke Construction Ltd.
Construction of the works is progressing well at three discrete locations, the embankments at Clareabbey, St Flannans College, and Ballybeg.
The works at the Clareabbey area suffered a delay in 2019 due to unexpectedly poor ground conditions, which necessitated a re-design of the original proposal of an embankment, to a sheetpiled solution along the stretch of riverbank in question. The re-design has been successfully completed and works have re-commenced in this area, with the sheetpiles now in place and capped, thus providing an effective flood defence. The detailed design of the pump-station required at the southern end of the works, near the N85, has been completed, and construction works here have recently begun, with an indicated completion date of mid-June this year. The access track for future maintenance requirements has also been completed.
The works at St Flannans and Ballybeg are substantially complete, with only minor snagging remaining, and I have been informed that the new culvert overflow systems constructed at both Ballybeg and St Flannans operated very successfully during recent heavy rainfall events.
In spite of the delays incurred as a result of the redesign at Clareabbey, the OPW, Ryan Hanley and Ward and Burke have managed to meet the original programme, and the works are due to be substantially completed this summer.