Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 April 2022
201. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he is taking to trial natural flood management as part of flood relief schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21657/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra202. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of trees that have been planted as part of each flood relief scheme nationally since 1 January 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21658/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 202 together.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) has been engaged in a number of activities to assess and develop nature-based solutions to flood risk management.
In 2019, a four-year research project, under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) research programme, titled ‘A Strategic Look at Natural Water Retention Measures’ (SLOWWATERS) commenced. This ongoing research has a budget of €508,000 and is co-funded by the OPW and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. The research will assess the benefits of nature-based solutions for agricultural catchments in Ireland. The project outputs will provide recommendations for the management of specific catchment types relevant to the Irish environment by quantifying the magnitude of nature-based solutions required to reduce flood peaks and improve downstream water quality by attenuating nutrients.
In addition to co-funding large-scale research, the OPW has contributed to funding community led work. In 2019, a study carried out by Trinity College Dublin on behalf of the Inishowen Rivers Trust, and funded by the OPW, to assess the feasibility of implementing nature-based solutions for catchment management at five locations on the Inishowen peninsula was completed. This study was followed by a LEADER funded project to implement nature-based solutions in Clonmany, to which the OPW has committed funding. This project has implemented 69 measures, typically leaky-dams to slow flood peaks, and has involved extensive landowner and community engagement.
The OPW co-chaired a working group with the EPA which was established in 2019 to advise the National Technical Implementation Group of the Water Framework Directive on the use of nature-based solutions, to contribute to the achievement of environmental objectives set out in the second River Basin Management Plan cycle. The working group presented their findings in 2020 and the OPW is now part of the steering group for an EPA research project to implement a key recommendation from the working group entitled ‘Integrated Framework for River Restoration and Nature-based Solutions for Integrated Catchment Management’. The aim of this project is to develop a decision support framework to identify appropriate measures for restoring rivers and implementing nature-based solutions for integrated catchment management that would work to restore impacted surface waters.
The OPW focuses on providing protection against extreme floods, such as the 100-year flood, which cause the most significant damage to communities, and there may be very limited, if any, benefit from natural flood risk measures during such events. Upstream retention is a measure that would have been considered for all schemes and is a feature of a number of recently completed or planned schemes, such as for Clonakilty, and also on the Wad and Poddle rivers in Dublin.
The development of flood relief schemes under the OPW’s capital programme now involves a specific requirement to assess the potential for nature-based solutions as part of the overall solution to managing flood risk for a particular community. Where feasible, these measures will be implemented to reduce flood risk and contribute to achieving co-benefits such as water quality improvement, habitat creation, and climate adaptation.
While the information on the number of trees planted in not available at this time, in terms of tree planting for flood relief schemes, the OPW together with the local authorities, that are the lead for many flood relief schemes, both minimise the number of tress to be removed and ensure compensatory tree planting as part of the project landscaping.
The design of all flood relief schemes involves an extensive series of environmental assessments. The design of the schemes and the construction methodology are developed to minimise the impact on the environment, including trees. Where warranted, tree surveys are carried out to identify individual trees that are to be removed and supporting surveys are carried out, such as bat surveys if there is potential value for the bat habitat. To complete the project, typically a landscape plan is developed which sets out a planting plan, including for native trees as appropriate.
