Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 March 2004
178 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance when he or his Department expects to have further consultation with Kildare County Council on the alleviation of flooding with particular reference to Mill Lane, Leixlip, and other locations in north Kildare which suffered from flooding in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9135/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works met with officials from Kildare County Council last month to discuss flooding problems at a number of locations. The county council confirmed that it has commissioned a report on flooding at Leixlip and agreed to forward a copy of the report to the Office of Public Works when available.
Works undertaken on the Lyreen and Meadowbrook rivers in the Maynooth area are now complete and no further works are planned. This work was carried out by the OPW as an agent of the county council.
In relation to flooding in Ardclough, Kildare County Council agreed that insufficient information is available to address the flooding problem with further technical and engineering data required. The county council agreed to consider how this information might be gathered.
Flooding problems in the areas mentioned are a matter for the local authority in the first instance. The OPW is happy to assist with technical advice and guidance but no flood relief scheme is planned for any of these locations.
The flood policy review which I initiated in November 2002 has now completed its work and the report of the review group will shortly be submitted to Government. I hope to be in a position to publish the report in the very near future. As well as setting out a strategy for flood management in the future, the report will clarify responsibilities of central and local government and set out criteria for prioritisation of resources on flood management measures.
