Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 October 2023
13. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the capital investment in flooding projects associated with flood risk-management that is being provided in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46914/23]
View answerI am taking this on behalf of Deputy O’Dea. This is on reforms in capital investment in flooding projects associated with flood risk assessment being provided in Budget 2023.
The Government has committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the National Development Plan 2021 – 2030 to protect approximately 23,000 properties in communities that are under threat from river and coastal flood risk.
Since 2018, as part of a phased approach to scheme delivery, this funding has allowed the OPW, in partnership with local authorities throughout the country, to triple the number of schemes at design stage to almost 100. In the past five years, the OPW has invested some €300 million in flood relief expenditure. In addition, in 2023, a capital investment of approximately €59 million is anticipated for flood relief measures. The OPW has been allocated sufficient funds to cover these costs. Flood relief schemes, as the Deputy will know, are large and complex multi-annual projects. They require detailed analysis of the sources and causes of flooding. They involve extensive landowner and stakeholder engagement and detailed environmental assessments and mitigation measures. While expenditure on each project in any year is dependent on many variables, the majority of expenditure is incurred during the construction phase.
The costs of completing flood relief schemes has increased in recent years, mainly impacted by a significant rise in construction costs and for other reasons. Procurement practices help to mitigate some of these cost increases. Throughout the scheme-delivery stages, project budgets of schemes are continually monitored and reviewed by OPW. As the overall delivery programme advances, OPW engages with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery, and Reform regarding the capital and current funding required through the annual budget process.
In addition to expenditure relating to flood relief schemes, the OPW minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme provides funding to local authorities to undertake minor mitigation works or coastal protection works, or studies to address localised issues, including coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. This scheme provides 90% funding to local authorities to manage localised risk.
