Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 September 2020
325. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of progress on the proposed flood relief scheme for Ballina, County Mayo; and the proposed timeline for completion of the project as of that date. [22234/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Ballina Flood Relief Scheme is currently at the preliminary design phase. The consultants appointed earlier this year have carried out extensive data collection in order to collate the relevant data, to feed into design models and identify potential solutions to the flood risk in the town.
The project team are planning a Public Consultation day in September 2020 to engage with the public and to gather any further local knowledge, photos, videos, etc. of flood events, which would aid the consultant engineers with their design work.
The event will be held virtually with all documentation and resources provided online. This virtual event will also afford the public the opportunity to ask questions and communicate with the project team. There will also be a physical public consultation held in Ballina for residents who may not have access to the internet or who would prefer to engage with the project team in person, albeit in a safe and controlled environment, with the necessary protocols in place.
The scheme is currently progressing well in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic. The scheme is on programme and this public consultation will bring the team closer to establishing the feasibility of a number of options for works that could be implemented to protect the town as well as seeking to engage the public in the process. Following this, the preferred option will be prepared for planning consent as appropriate. The monthly steering group meetings are being executed remotely in order to progress the scheme.
It is not possible to provide an accurate estimate for project completion at this early stage until a preferred option is established and the project team has commenced their detailed design work.
