Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
109. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of flood defence projects the OPW has planned for County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11026/22]
View answerI recently visited County Donegal and met with County Council officials where I was apprised of the ongoing progress in relation to Flood Relief Schemes in the County.
As I am sure the deputy is aware, fifteen projects were identified in County Donegal under the Flood Risk Management Plans announced in May 2018. Following consultation and discussions between the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Donegal County Council (DCC), nine of the Donegal projects were selected and are being progressed in the first phase of implementation, in addition to a project already being progressed for Raphoe.
Consultants have been appointed for the design and progression of projects for Lifford, Burnfoot and Castlefin (the latter two bundled together); and Ballybofey-Stranorlar, Buncrana-Luddan and Ramelton (also in a bundled format). The flood relief projects at Downings, Glenties and Kerrykeel are also being progressed under the OPW-funded Capital Flood Relief Programme as Small Projects.
In addition, under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme, funding of €2,337,397 (€2.337m) was approved for projects in Donegal from 2009-2021, which includes €597,800 (€0.598m) for coastal erosion projects.
The proposed schemes for Donegal Town, Killybegs, Carndonagh, Rathmullan, Letterkenny and Dunfanaghy are not in the first tranche of projects to be progressed. The OPW and Donegal County Council are working closely with the intention of delivering the programme of flood relief projects identified for Donegal County within the timeframe of the current national development plan, subject to no external and unforeseen challenges, which, unfortunately, do arise, for example, through the planning process. The OPW, working closely with its Local Authority Delivery Partners, at all times strives to expedite and progress capital flood relief works with the minimum delay within the resources available to it.
