Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2023
147. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform what plans his Department has to reduce the risk of flooding nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49282/23]
View answerThe Office of Public Works, as the lead agency for flood risk management, is coordinating the delivery of measures towards meeting the Government’s National Flood Risk Policy.
A broad range of structural and non-structural measures have already been implemented to address flood risk under an approach structured around three pillars: prevention, protection and preparedness.
In 2018, to establish those communities that are at risk from significant flood events, the OPW completed the largest study of flood risk ever undertaken by the State: the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. The CFRAM Programme studied 80% of Ireland’s primary flood risk and identified solutions that can protect over 95% of that risk. Some 150 additional flood relief schemes were identified through this Programme.
The Government has committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of these flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the National Development Plan to 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 treble the number of schemes at design, planning and construction to some 100 schemes at this time.
The implementation of flood relief projects is a very complex process with significant challenges. Designing a technical solution, ensuring a robust approach to the environmental assessments, and meeting other regulatory requirements are essential to both inform the best scheme and to reduce the risk of challenges to a proposed scheme.
To date, 54 schemes have been completed, which are providing protection to over 12,000 properties and an economic benefit to the State in damage and losses avoided estimated to be in the region of €1.9 billion. Consequently, work to protect 80% of all at-risk properties nationally is completed or underway.
Of the flood relief schemes being progressed through the various stages from scheme development through to planning, detailed design, construction and handover, seven schemes are currently at construction stage and, once completed, these schemes will provide flood protection to approximately 1,700 properties.
Schemes currently being delivered have been prioritised as Tranche I schemes. Also included in these active schemes are four Tranche II Pilot projects. The pilot, which I announced in May 2023, is in response to engagement between OPW and local authorities to agree a planned national approach to future schemes. Consequently, a new delivery model for flood relief schemes is being piloted which will better inform the future Tranche II schemes' delivery.
In addition to the flood relief schemes noted above, the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme provides funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation or coastal protection works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. This scheme provides 90% funding to local authorities to manage localised flood risk.
Information on the status of flood relief schemes and data on Minor Works is available at www.floodinfo.ie.
