Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
369. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide an update on the delivery of the CFRAM scheme for County Louth and east Meath, further to the most recent flooding events in the area; the current timelines for the delivery of the projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15342/24]
View answerLouth County Council, working with the Office of Public Works (OPW), are the Lead Authority in the delivery of flood relief schemes at Dundalk/Blackrock South, Drogheda, Carlingford/Greenore, Baltray and Ardee, all of which are in the first tranche of projects being progressed. The funding for these schemes has been allocated under the €1.3bn investment in flood relief under the National Development Plan to 2030.
The development and progression of flood relief schemes is overseen by project Steering Groups with representatives, meeting typically monthly, from the OPW and Louth County Council and the consultant engineers. Delivering a flood relief scheme involves five distinct, sequential and related stages. Aligned to the decision gateways of the Infrastructure Guidelines these are assessing the flood risk and identifying options; seeking planning consent, detailed design, construction and maintenance. Public consultation forms part of the scheme design and project websites, available on floodinfo.ie provide updates on each scheme’s progress.
The Dundalk/Blackrock South and Ardee projects are being progressed simultaneously and engineering and environmental consultants were appointed in 2020. The proposed scheme will protect some 1,880 properties when completed. The emerging scheme option for Dundalk/Blackrock South is expected later in 2024 and the finalisation of options appraisal for Ardee is being prepared.
Consultants for the Drogheda and Baltray flood relief schemes were appointed in September 2021. The proposed schemes will protect some 454 properties when completed. The scheme option is expected in Q4 2024.
The OPW established a working group on Carlingford and Greenore that is focused on ensuring that all approaches for implementation are considered from a technical perspective and to propose the best method to proceed, and has met with Louth County Council engineers to progress the project. Louth County Council have recently advertised a CCTV and Topographical Survey Tender competition for Carlingford and Greenore to collect data to develop a flood relief scheme.
While the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Programme investigated possible structural flood relief measures for both Annagassan and Termonfeckin, economically viable schemes for these communities were not identified. The OPW is reviewing the flood risk in these communities and is due to have a final report completed for both locations in Q2 2024.
The OPW since 2009, has approved €1.9m for 31 local flood projects under the OPW's Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme to Louth County Council.
In east Meath, the Mornington Flood Relief Scheme (FRS), consented to under the Arterial Drainage Acts, 1945 and 1995, was substantially completed in 2013, providing protection to 162 properties. This flood relief scheme has a design standard of 0.5% AEP coastal flood event and 1% AEP fluvial flood event. The OPW directly managed the construction and funded the development of the flood defences. The Mornington FRS is maintained annually by the OPW East Region Drainage Maintenance Section. Maintenance involves silt and vegetation removal from circa 3km of channel, and vegetation management on circa 5km of embankment. Maintenance is generally carried out in Q4 of each year.
The Catchment Flood Risk Management Programme (CFRAM) proposed a further flood relief scheme for Mornington to augment the existing scheme. The proposed further measures for Mornington that may be implemented after project-level assessment and planning or exhibition and confirmation may include physical works such as a series of hard defences (flood embankments and walls). These works would complement the existing flood scheme already completed. The hard defences would protect to the 1% AEP fluvial flood event and to the 0.5% AEP coastal flood event.
There is currently a group in place with representatives from the OPW and Meath County Council to progress the development of further works for the Mornington/Bettystown area. There are a number of projects in this area that are currently being considered in addition to the CFRAM proposals and the group is assessing the best approach to delivering these projects. This includes the installation of a permanent pumping station in the Dunes Estate, flood defences in the Villages and a culvert upgrade required for the Northlands Flood Relief Scheme. It is intended that the pumping station and culvert upgrade will be completed this year, the appropriate planning and design development route for the other works is currently under consideration.
After the August 2023 flood event in the Mornington/Bettystown area a senior level group involving the OPW and Meath County Council was established to review the event and any additional measures in the Mornington/Bettystown area that may now be required.
The OPW instructed RPS to investigate both the cause and magnitude of the flooding events in Mornington in August and October of last year. This investigation will inform any appropriate short term measures that can be taken to manage the flood risk in this area and in the longer term the design for those further flood relief defences currently proposed. Phase 1 of this report was completed and presented to the senior level group in December, 2023. Based on the recommendations of the Bettystown/Mornington Flood Event Investigation Report (Phase 1) which covers the August and October 2023 flood events, RPS will now commence with a further two phases, whereby Phase 2 will involve model upgrades and Phase 3 will be updating of the flood relief options.
Northlands Flood Relief Scheme
The Northlands Flood Relief Scheme commenced in November, 2016. Construction of this scheme, consisted of in-situ reinforced concrete walls and precast concrete “U-channels”, and was carried out by the OPW (direct works) on behalf of Meath County Council, and was substantially completed in Q1 of 2018.
A Steering Group consisting of representatives from the Office of Public Works, Meath County Council and the design consultant was established to progress a design for a culvert upgrade as an extension to the Northlands Flood Relief Scheme. It is proposed to carry out water diversion works in 2024 to enable the construction of a replacement culvert on Eastham Road.
