Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 December 2017
134. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the funding that will be provided to Cavan County Council in 2018 for flood relief and drainage works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52650/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra135. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the flood relief and drainage works that the Office of Public Works will carry out in County Cavan in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52651/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 135 together.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) carries out a national programme, on an average five-yearly cycle, of Arterial Drainage Maintenance to a total of 11,500km of river channel and approximately 730km of embankments nationally. These maintenance works relate to arterial drainage schemes completed by the OPW under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945.
The Boyne, Inny and Glyde and Dee Arterial Drainage Maintenance Schemes are in operation in County Cavan. As part of these maintenance programmes, fifty kilometres of river channel maintenance is scheduled to take place in County Cavan in 2018.
Local authorities are responsible for the ongoing maintenance of certain watercourses within Drainage Districts in the county. I am engaging with the Minister of Housing, Planning and Local Government to look at ensuring that sufficient funding is available for Local Authorities to fulfil these obligations.
For areas not covered by the Arterial Drainage Maintenance Programme, the OPW operates a Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. It is open to all Local Authorities to submit a funding application under the Scheme. This administrative Scheme’s eligibility criteria, including a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, are published on the OPW website, www.opw.ie. Any application received will be considered in accordance with the scheme eligibility criteria and having regard to the overall availability of resources for flood risk management.
