Thursday, 21 Jan 2016

Written Answers Nos. 61 - 67

Drainage Schemes Status

Ceisteanna (61)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

61. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of flooding (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2545/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Simon Harris)

I am advised by my officials that no damage has been reported to any of the OPW maintained embankments in the area referred to by the Deputy. This Office only has a statutory responsibility to maintain Catchment Drainage Schemes and Arterial Drainage Schemes carried out by this Office under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995.

Investigation of flooding, in the first instance, is a matter for each local authority to investigate and address. Kerry County Council may carry out flood mitigation works using its own resources. The Council may also apply to the Office of Public Works (OPW) for funding of flood mitigation works under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. The purpose of this scheme is to provide funding to local authorities to undertake minor works to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies to relatively straightforward cases where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame.

Under the scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost no more than €500,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects, with the balance being funded by the local authority concerned. Any application received will be considered in accordance with the scheme eligibility criteria, including a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, and having regard to the overall availability of resources for flood risk management. Details are published on the OPW website www.opw.ie.

Moneycashen, which comprises parts of the townlands of Kilmore, Cloghane and Knoppoge in the Cashen area is currently subject to a detailed assessment being carried out by engineering consultants on behalf of the Office of Public Works, under the Shannon Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Study, in partnership with Kerry County Council. Draft Flood Mapping, produced under the Study, was the subject of a local Public Consultation Day on 24 September 2014. The draft Flood Mapping is now being finalised following completion of a national statutory public consultation on 23 December 2015. Work on the development of preliminary options to address the potentially significant flood risks identified in the Study area is under way. In that regard, a local Public Consultation Day was held on 30 September 2015. Following finalisation of the mapping and the identification of feasible flood risk management options, the outputs from this important Study will be published as part of an integrated Flood Risk Management Plan. Further information is available on the Study website www.shannoncframstudy.ie.

The OPW is commissioning a feasibility study to deal with the issues arising on the tidal stretch of the Feale CDS which includes the Cashen.

Heritage Sites

Ceisteanna (62)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

62. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of persons (details supplied) operating boats to Sceilig Mhichíl; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2555/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Simon Harris)

It has been decided that the dates for the visitor season at Skellig Michael for 2016 will be 14 May to 2 October, weather permitting. These are virtually the same dates as last year, with no curtailment of the length of the official season.

I appreciate that Skellig Michael has gained somewhat of a greater profile this year because of Star Wars and that there is an expectation that more visitors will come to the area as a result. However, it must be appreciated that the Island has a finite capacity to deal with large numbers of visitors due to the fragility of the Island and the impact large numbers of visitors would have on the sensitive historic structures.

In previous years, there has been significant pressure from local interests to have the visitor season at Skellig Michael extended. However, as has been stated many times previously, this has not been possible because a significant amount of work needs to be done in the period immediately prior to the official opening. During this period, the site needs to be prepared to receive visitors and have significant Health and Safety preparations for the forthcoming season carried out. In particular, the site is fully assessed after the winter, any hazards cleared from public areas and any necessary repairs carried out. These preparatory works are absolutely necessary in advance of opening the island to the public.

In previous years, visitors have been landed on the Island outside of the official visitor season dates. This activity cannot be condoned as, prior to the season, the Island remains in an unsafe, unprepared condition and is without Guides who provide the trained emergency response including radios, defibrillator, oxygen, first aid etc. Such unauthorised landings are potentially very hazardous for visitors.

Understanding that Skellig Michael is typically unavailable to visitors because of bad weather in particular approx 30 - 40% of the season, officials in the OPW and the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht have, in tandem with Fáílte Ireland and a local Tourism group based in Portmagee, been developing alternative tourism options in the immediate area which are not so weather dependant and which can be enjoyed by visitors. The officials in both Departments will continue to develop these alternative offerings and would hope to make them available to visitors this year.

Flood Relief Schemes Status

Ceisteanna (63, 67)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

63. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of flooding and its effect on residents (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2604/16]

Tom Fleming

Ceist:

67. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will urgently examine a submission by residents (details supplied) in County Kerry, and provide the necessary funding to construct flood defence and drainage systems to protect their homes, properties and livelihood; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2643/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Simon Harris)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 67 together.

The Banna Drainage District drains lands in Carrahane Lower and Banna-Mountain townlands. Drainage Districts are areas where drainage schemes to improve land for agricultural purposes were constructed under the Arterial Drainage Acts from 1842 up to 1943. The statutory duty of maintenance for this schemes rests with the Local Authority.

Part of the townland of Banna-Mountain is currently subject to a detailed assessment being carried out by engineering consultants on behalf of the Office of Public Works, under the Shannon Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Study, in partnership with Kerry County Council. Draft Flood Mapping, produced under the Study, was the subject of a Public Consultation Day in Banna Beach Resort on 24 March 2015. The draft Flood Mapping is now being finalised following completion of a national statutory public consultation on 23 December 2015. Work on the development of preliminary options to address the potentially significant flood risks identified in the Study area is underway. In that regard, a Public Consultation Day was held in Banna Beach Resort on 1 October 2015. Following finalisation of the mapping and the identification of feasible flood risk management options, the outputs from this important Study will be published as part of an integrated Flood Risk Management Plan. Further information is available on the Study website www.shannoncframstudy.ie.

Investigation of flooding, in the first instance, is a matter for each local authority to investigate and address. Kerry County Council may carry out flood mitigation works using its own resources. The Council may also apply to the Office of Public Works (OPW) for funding of flood mitigation works under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. The purpose of this scheme is to provide funding to local authorities to undertake minor works to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects that are estimated to cost no more than €500,000. Details of the Schemes eligibility criteria are published on the OPW website www.opw.ie.

Public Sector Pensions

Ceisteanna (64)

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

64. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will address the issue of pensions for supervisors of community employment schemes and outline a timeline for these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2547/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

I refer the Deputy to the answer to Question No. 186, which I gave on this matter on 19 January 2016.

Flood Relief Schemes Applications

Ceisteanna (65)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

65. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he is aware of several incidences of flooding since 2014 which have occurred along the Murvagh river basin in County Donegal, which have left roads impassable and homes and businesses badly damaged; the flood prevention measures that have been undertaken to alleviate flooding along the river; if he will provide additional assistance to the relevant authorities to improve flood mitigation measures and defences in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2609/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Simon Harris)

I am aware of the flooding that has occurred in this location as are the OPW engineering staff who cover this area. However, it is a matter for Donegal County Council in the first instance to identify and address flooding issues in the county. It is open to the Council to undertake any local flood mitigation works using their own resources or to submit an application for funding if necessary under the Office of Public Works Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. Any application received will be assessed under the scheme's eligibility criteria which includes a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, and having regard to the overall availability of funding.

I understand that a meeting is being scheduled between Donegal County Council and the Office of Public Works West Region to discuss a possible minor works application for the flooding in this area.

There is a former Land Commission channel running through part of this area, the Bridgetown River. The OPW does not have responsibility for former Land Commission embankments or channels.

Flood Relief Schemes Expenditure

Ceisteanna (66)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

66. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the funding allocated to each of the competent State agencies and authorities for the co-ordination and implementation of flood risk management and mitigation measures, by county, for each year since 2005 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2610/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Simon Harris)

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is the lead State body for the co-ordination and implementation of Government policy on flood risk management. It is allocated funding annually from the Exchequer for its various programmes and measures in this area. Approximately €378 million has been expended during the period 2005-2015 on major Flood Relief Schemes, undertaken directly by the OPW or funded by the OPW and undertaken by local authorities and also on the provision of funding to local authorities to carry our smaller, more localised flood relief works under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. The total of €378m also includes expenditure by the OPW on its Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. Expenditure by the OPW on its Arterial Drainage Maintenance programme is not included in the figure of €378m.

Expenditure for this period is shown on a county by county basis in the following table. The table shows that expenditure on major Flood Relief Schemes amounted to €267 million in this period while €52 million was spent on providing funding to Local Authorities to undertake small scale projects under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme which commenced in 2009 and for the repair and restoration of coastal defences following the storms which caused extreme damage at the beginning of 2014.

The OPW has spent approximately €60 million on other programmes, including the Flood Studies Update, Hydrology and Coastal, Flood Risk Data Management and the CFRAM Programme of studies, that is not attributable to a specific county and is therefore not included in the details of the table.

In addition to the above figures the OPW has spent €183 million over this period on its Arterial Drainage Maintenance Programme which covers 11,500 kms of river channels and approximately 730km of embankments around the country. As these are catchment based activities it is not possible to attribute the costs on a county basis and are therefore not included in the details of the table.

Local Authorities or other State bodies may have incurred expenditure directly themselves on flood relief measures utilising their own resources in the period in question. The OPW does not have any information on such expenditure.

Council	Type of Work	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	TOTALS
		€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000	€,000
Carlow Co Co.
	Major Schemes	38	12	2,144	9	57	0	0	2,732	716	0	0	5,708
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	0	32	611	439	114	0	0	1,196
Cavan Co. Co.
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	0	72	0	111	0	0	0	183
Clare Co. Co.													0
	Major Schemes	337	320	255	2,873	4,793	1,995	2,390	287	9,668	4,196	1,410	28,524
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	45		617	426	271	1,387	8,530	11,276
Cork Co. Co.
	Major Schemes	1,975	825	730	5,097	9,618	6,162	6,235	9,395	12,167	6,581	4,135	62,920
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	32	1,045	402	282	222	685	724	3,392
Donegal
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	13	34	0	0	0	36	64	0	147
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	0	484	32	79	76	562	1,067	2,300
Dublin
	Major Schemes	2,514	4,910	6,996	3,117	3,678	3,162	805	4,046	2,710	6,315	4,524	42,777
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	0	0	320	873	373	605	163	2,334
Galway
	Major Schemes	25					285	1,518	795	234	190	201	3,248
	Minor Works				319	35	2,937	1,510	765	248	1,048	1,642	8,504
Kerry
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	377	359	44	190	35	1,206	176	2,387
Kildare
	Major Schemes	3	0	644	2,019	835	814	1,470	715	130	89	149	6,868
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	180	1,176	209	352	57	3	3	1,980
Kilkenny
	Major Schemes	5,127	517	616	787	1,180	62	4	0	0	0	0	8,293
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	68	65	538	58	108	27	0	864
Laois
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	121	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	121
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	0	0	14	0	0	0	0	14
Leitrim
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	0	160	125	101	111	0	166	663
Limerick
	Major Schemes	470	0	30	40	422	72	0	60	0	691	69	1,854
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	0	309	268	92	142	291	43	1,145
Longford
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	164	116	0	0	0	0	0	0	280
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	0	202	261	0	0	0	0	463
Louth
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	45	137	67		72	191	71	583
Mayo
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	11	78	24	125
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	233	309	31	76	0	2,117	2,135	4,901
Meath
	Major Schemes	1,755	2,607	599	391	874	1,669	1,130	479	58	36	66	9,664
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	77	0	45	4	163	0	127	416
Monaghan
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	115	0	32	227	28	463	309	1,174
Offaly
	Major Schemes	0	177	0	0	22	0	13	799	997	53	6	2,067
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	27	209	0	0	0	0	0	236
Roscommon
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	105	951	0	105	87	0	0	1,248
Sligo
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	41	423	0	59	290	0	338	1,151
Tipperary
	Major Schemes	719	1,811	1,820	5,743	7,584	5,495	11,280	4,170	786	1,323	897	41,628
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	14	306	327	133	0	5	81	866
Waterford
	Major Schemes	1	57	5,000	30	500	2,700	600	3,315	3,996	4,240	2,542	22,981
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	0	54	0	14	15	366	895	1,344
Westmeath
	Major Schemes	0	0	0	130	233	58	0	0	0	0	0	421
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	90	54	83	0		0	0	227
Wexford
	Major Schemes	25	414	0	93	231	124	0	51	88	0	317	1,343
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	90	518	0	90	38	356	921	2,013
Wicklow
	Major Schemes	150	0	59	313	299	1,738	0	7,117	997	4,875	12,444	27,992
	Minor Works	0	0	0	0	227	248	70	389	8	0	140	1,082
TOTALS		13,139	11,650	18,893	21,259	32,277	34,386	31,051	38,838	35,052	30,484	44,315	318,903

Question No. 67 answered with Question No. 63.