Sandymount residents seek action on ‘unacceptable delays’ to building of flood defences

Sandymount residents are seeking urgent talks with Minister for State at the Office of Public Works Patrick O’Donovan, to address “unacceptable delays” to the construction of flood defences for the south Dublin coastal community.

Flood defences, recommended 20 years ago to protect more than 1,000 homes in Sandymount, Dublin, are not expected to be in place before 2032.

Following several delays, construction of the defences on Sandymount promenade had been due to start last year. However, arising from consultation with the Office of Public Works (OPW) the council is to redesign the scheme to take into account “increased wave heights” and “sea level rises”. The works are now not expected to begin before 2030.

The Sandymount and Merrion Residents’ Association (Samra) said a 10-year delay in the start of construction of enhanced flood defences along Strand Road “was totally unacceptable”.

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The work had originally been due to start in 2019 the group said, and it had last December been given assurances by the OPW that flood issues would be dealt with as a matter of urgency.

“OPW is the national agency responsible for flood defences. We want it to get a grip on this and apply maximum urgency as was agreed last year,” Samra chairman David Turner said. “It is beyond belief that we are still getting one excuse after another. What are we paying our property taxes for?”

Following discussions with the OPW the council said it plans hire consultants to reassess the Sandymount flood scheme.

“Due to existing sea level rise and increased wave heights particularly over the last 20 years, previous surveys and studies have to be revisited to hopefully provide a holistic cost beneficial option. Climate change adaptation is another requirement of the brief.”

The council said it hoped to appoint consultants to carry out these assessments by the end of next March. “Due to massive environmental sensitivities and planning requirements it is estimated that it will take two years to carry out surveys, build tidal and wave models, estimate potential damages and produce a preferred flood defence option,” it added.

A further six months would be required to produce a planning application for An Bord Pleanála, with a decision expected to take up to three years.

“If the application is successful and funding is available,” the council said, “the procurement of a contractor and possibly another consultant for the construction phase will probably take a further year. Construction of the scheme is likely to take two years. During all of this the project will of course liaise with other projects in the area such as the Sandymount Greenway.”

Labour councillor Dermot Lacey said it was “absurd” and shameful” that Sandymount residents would remain without flood protection for such an extended period.

“I am genuinely shocked by this delay. The notion that people, whose homes are flooding, or are at risk of flooding, and can’t get flood insurance, are being told they would have to wait another eight years or more is shameful.”

He said the flood scheme should not require the input of multiple State agencies and consultants. “This highlights the disaster that is the absurd decision-making process of the State apparatus. This is surely something that can be done within the expertise of the city council. We are not asking for something to be done a bit quicker, we are asking to catch up on 20 years of non-action.”