Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 January 2017
34. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the schedule for the river Shannon dredging works which were announced prior to Christmas 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3427/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn January 2016, the Government took decisive action to support the existing plans in place to address flooding on the Shannon and established the Shannon Flood Risk State Agency Co-ordination Working Group to enhance ongoing co-operation of all State agencies involved with the River Shannon.
The Group is focused on ensuring the best possible level of co-ordination between all statutory bodies involved in flood risk management on the Shannon. It is solutions focused and designed to deliver the highest level of efficiencies to add value to the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme.
The Group, which is chaired by the OPW, has taken a decision to develop a plan for strategic maintenance works on the River Shannon. Over the years there have been many calls for a maintenance programme to be put in place for the Shannon. A planned maintenance programme to halt the deterioration of the River Shannon would complement the Group’s existing Work Programme and the specific measures that are identified for the areas at risk in the Draft Shannon Flood Risk Management Plan.
In order to progress work on this initiative, significant background work must be undertaken to firstly look at all of the issues associated with such a proposal and then to develop a project plan to bring the initiative forward.
A sub-committee of the Group is currently being established to review and assess all the issues involved including financial, environmental and legal issues. The sub-committee will determine the scope of the project as part of their deliberations including the potential targeting and phasing of works. The resources required will evolve as the various strands of the project are identified, reviewed, assessed and ultimately agreed on.
It is important to state that there are a range of activities that can be considered when carrying out river channel maintenance, of which dredging is only one such potential activity. The maintenance required may involve work on the river bed or the river bank and may range from the removal of silt deposits to the cutting back of vegetation. The sub-committee will consider the full range of activities as part of their deliberations.
