Simon Harris defends committee work on flooding

The absence of meetings by two groups tasked with overseeing a national strategy on flooding over periods of up to six years, did not mean “technical issues” relating to the problem were not addressed, said Minister for State for the OPW Simon Harris.

Mr Harris acknowledged the national flood risk assessment and management programme CFRAM group failed to meet in the four years to November 2014 and that a second group, tasked with overseeing flood-risk management, had not met in the six years before July 2015.

Referring to the lack of meetings by the oversight group, he said “a lot of technical work was going on in that time”.

Referring to the CFRAM group he said it was “the most ambitious flood planning exercise ever undertaken in the history of this State. It will mean that for the first time in the history of the State we will have a national flood plan.”

Oversight group

Mr Harris said criticism of the delays raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) predated his time in office and that of his predecessor. But he said when he became Minister of State at the OPW he sought approval from the Government for the reconvening of the oversight group, which he has since chaired.

He said an interim report of the oversight group had been made in January and had brought into its realm such non-OPW issues as a voluntary home relocation scheme for flood victims, flood insurance, property protection and long-term forecasting “so as to bring a whole-of-government approach”.

Responding to suggestions in the C&AG report that money was spent in advance of strategic assessments, Mr Harris said the Public Accounts Committee could examine those issues.

“Under this outgoing Government and under my ministry we will see €430million allocated to flood relief schemes over the next five years; we have only spend €410 million over the last 20 years”.