Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 November 2021
68. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the flood relief measures for County Louth; the progress to date; the additional staffing resources provided by the OPW to Louth County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55833/21]
View answerI ask the Minister to provide an update on the status of flood relief measures for County Louth, particularly the plans under the catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme to deal with Dundalk, Blackrock, Ardee, Termonfeckin, Annagassan, Carlingford, Greenore, Drogheda and Baltray. I am seeking a complete update on as much of this as possible. I accept that consultants have been appointed and that an element of work has been done.
I thank the Deputy. Through the CFRAM, programme, detailed engineering analysis, assessment and extensive public consultation was undertaken for 300 communities throughout the country, including 90 coastal areas, that were identified as the most likely to be impacted by future coastal and fluvial flooding. One key output of the CFRAM programme is the flood risk management plans, FRMPs, that contain proposed flood relief measures informed by preliminary costs, benefits and environmental factors to address the flood risk in each community and nationwide.
The evidence provided by the CFRAM programme launched in May 2018 supports the Government’s €1 billion programme out to 2040. As part of this, Louth County Council, working with the OPW, has agreed to be the lead authority in the delivery of flood relief schemes at Dundalk, Blackrock south, Drogheda, Carlingford, Greenore, Baltray and Ardee. The OPW has agreed to provide funding for a senior executive engineer, two executive engineers, an administrative officer and a technician at grade 1 level. These appointments have taken place and all expenditure associated with the appointments listed has been recouped in full by Louth County Council, in accordance with procedures in line with the public spending code.
The proposed flood relief scheme at Dundalk and Blackrock south includes the Ardee flood relief scheme and will protect some 1,880 properties when completed, while the scheme at Drogheda and Baltray will protect some 450 and the scheme at Carlingford and Greenore will protect 409 properties.
Although the CFRAM process investigated possible structural flood relief measures for both Annagassan and Termonfeckin, economically viable schemes for these communities were not identified. As such, a review of the risk in these communities and the likely costs and benefits is to be undertaken. The OPW has put in place a process for undertaking such reviews and it is envisaged that the reviews, including those for Annagassan and Termonfeckin, will be completed within the next 12 months.
The contract for engineering consultancy services was awarded in 2020 to Binnies and Nicholas O'Dwyer as a joint venture for the Dundalk, Blackrock south and Ardee projects and they are being progressed simultaneously.,
I appreciate the comprehensive answer. In fairness, my first question was going to be in respect of the timeline for the reassessment of Termonfeckin and Annagassan but the Minister of State has indicated it should be completed within 12 months. All present accept the necessity of these mitigations. Louth is very much an exposed county. Where I live in Dundalk is reclaimed land. Given the circumstances in which we now find ourselves, on a personal basis, I, along with many of my neighbours, would benefit from having these works done. They are an absolute necessity. I am seeking as much information as possible on a general timeline for the works, specifically for Dundalk to Baltray in light of the indication by the Minister of State that the review of Termonfeckin and Annagassan will happen within the year.
I can provide a more comprehensive answer to the Deputy in writing. I was in County Louth last year, shortly after I was appointed, and met the Louth county manager. I fully appreciate the concerns that exist. The Deputy is correct. The counties of Louth, Meath, Dublin, Wexford, Wicklow and down into Waterford and east Cork are particularly exposed. The speed at which we are responding will have to increase significantly. As I have stated in this Chamber previously, as well as in that awful place down on the quays to which I hope we will not be going back any time soon, the response time to these communities is too slow. I have no difficulty saying that. This generation has seen the growth of massive urban conurbations in places such as Dundalk. These are significant population bases to which we have to respond. If the sea level continues to rise at the current rate, these urban communities will be facing massive difficulty. The Deputy is correct. I can respond to him in writing with a more comprehensive reply.
I appreciate that. If the Minister of State could provide me with a reply in writing, that would be brilliant. I am finding it difficult not to agree with him on the fact that the work that needs to be done is necessary and is all happening too slowly. I will try to avoid repeating myself.
Obviously, some of these projects will be substantial. I am aware the whole planning process is being reviewed at this point. We know there are significant issues in that regard. Consultation with the community is always a very important part of any work but there are definite difficulties in this regard. The Minister of State himself has spoken about those difficulties. Is any of that impacting on this issue? Is there a need for added resources or further work, particularly as regards the OPW or Louth County Council?
The short answer is "No". For instance, what we will require in Dundalk are hard defences, flood embankments, walls, rock armour, coastal protection, demountable barriers, road raising, sluice gates, tanking, channel conveyancing improvements and road changes. There is a massive amount of work to be done in Dundalk alone, not to mention Drogheda, Baltray and Greenore. These are massive civil engineering projects. It is not possible to just magic away the volume of water that is coming. That is before even getting into the issue of the people who will jump up and object to the schemes for these communities. This is happening all over the country. Can the Deputy help me? Absolutely, he can. If he could wish away all the objections, court injunctions and delays experienced by the OPW and Louth County Council, as well as every other local authority across the country, he would be doing me a significant favour. Those delays are the scourge of communities.
