Holly Cairns
Question:410. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the flood relief scheme in Skibbereen, County Cork will be officially completed. [2618/22]
View answerWednesday, 19 January 2022
Questions (410)
Written answers
The Skibbereen Flood Relief Scheme was substantially completed on 6 June 2019. All known defects arising from the construction have been remedied, with some delays as a result of Covid-19.
Planning for the operation and maintenance of the scheme is ongoing in conjunction with Cork County Council, who will act as agents of the OPW in carrying out the statutory operation and maintenance of the scheme. A small number of works to address elements identified during construction (and since completion of the scheme works), which were outside the main construction contract, remain to be completed and are being progressed in separate works packages.
In addition, some drainage works on Cork Road, which fall outside the remit of the main Scheme, have subsequently been identified as being necessary. Detailed assessments are currently being progressed by Cork County Council and consultants RPS, in conjunction with the OPW and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), to identify the most effective solution. The OPW is providing some funding under the Minor Works & Flood Mitigation Scheme towards these works. While work is currently ongoing on the development of a solution, the Council is not yet in a position to confirm the programme times in relation to planning approvals and construction.
A length of flood defence wall upstream of the footbridge in the Town centre remains to be constructed which will facilitate flood defence at a high level (for relatively rare floods) for the adjacent apartments and the town centre, as well as a proposed future public walkway, being proposed by Cork County Council. It is expected that cost for this remaining work will be shared between Cork County Council and the OPW.
Cork County Council and their consultants have been undertaking assessments of the wider surface water drainage network in the area and these assessments are progressing. Discussions have taken place with a view to completing some remedial/improvement works with any further works to be progressed once the required reports or consultations are completed.