Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 to 148, inclusive, together.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is delivering a multi-annual programme of capital investment in flood defence measures, with €430 million provided for in the Capital Investment Plan 2016 to 2021. Since 2009, a number of major flood defence schemes have been completed in the Shannon catchment area including Ennis Upper and Derrymullen, Ballinasloe. Further schemes are currently underway at Kings Island in Limerick, Foynes, Athlone, Ennis Lower and Ennis South.

The OPW introduced the Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme in 2009, following the flood events experienced in many parts of the country. The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame.

The following Table 1 sets out the number of projects approved each year since 2009 for each Local Authority, including Leitrim County Council, for whom part of their administrative area lies within the Shannon Catchment area.

The OPW publishes on its website, , the annual lists of all projects approved under the Scheme since 2009, showing the location and details of each project approved. The commencement and progression of any works, for which funding is approved, is a matter for each Local Authority concerned.

While the OPW does not have the detailed flood information sought in relation to Carrick on Shannon municipal district, the Deputy may be able to access this data from Leitrim County Council in terms of their emergency response role.

The core strategy for addressing the significant flood risks along the River Shannon is the OPW’s Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. Of the 300 Areas for Further Assessment (AFAs) nationwide, there are 66 in the Shannon River Basin District that have been assessed within the Shannon CFRAM study. These include Carrick on Shannon and are listed in Table 2.

Feasible flood relief structural measures have been identified to provide protection to almost all properties at significant risk from flooding within at risk communities.

Following a public consultation process, the Flood Risk Management Plans are now being finalised taking on board the comments received and will include a prioritised list of feasible structural measures, to address flood risk in an environmentally sustainable and cost effective manner.

In 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 and to add value to the CFRAM Programme.

The Shannon Flood Risk State Agency Co-ordination Working Group has taken the decision to develop a plan for strategic maintenance works on the River Shannon that will complement the Group’s Work Programme and the specific measures that are identified for the areas at risk in the CFRAM Draft Shannon Flood Risk Management Plan. The Group has established a sub-committee to address all of the necessary legal, environmental, technical and other considerations that arise in bringing forward both short term and long term proposals. The Group has now agreed to the delivery of targeted maintenance activities to be carried out in a range of locations this year in accordance with the permitted seasonal windows for such activities.

Since last October, the Group has also been piloting the lowering of the lake levels in Lough Allen to help mitigate potential flood risk during Winter months and has also endorsed the commencement of a specific project, led by the Office of Public Works, to identify viable flood risk reduction measures in the Shannon Callows.

Table 1

Approved Projects under Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme in the Shannon Catchment

2009 to 2017 (Year to Date)

Further details on all projects approved under the Scheme can be found on the OPW website:

Table 2

Areas of Further Assessment (AFAs) in the Shannon CFRAM Study