Spending on flood defences will more than double to €100 million

Spending on flood defence works will more than double from €45 million a year to €100 million, according to Minister of State for Flood Relief Sean Canney.

He told the Dáil that this year the Office of Public Works (OPW) was on course to spend €52 million on flood relief.

Structural measures were being taken to reduce the time needed to implement projects in the future by up to two years and legislation provided for a streamlining process for flood relief works and reducing target times.

During a Dáil debate on a Fianna Fáil motion on flooding Mr Canney said 37 major flood relief schemes had been completed and last winter protected 7,000 properties.

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He said a further 5,000 properties were protected from localised flooding through 400 projects completed under the OPW minor work scheme and a further 200 projects are approved for funding.

The Minister pointed out that the OPW has responsibility for 650,000 acres and 11,500 km of river channels.

He said 12 major flood relief schemes were under construction, a figure he described as a record, and a further 23 were at design development stage.

Those underway include Bandon, Skibbereen, Claregalway and Duncannon while towns planned for include Crossmolina, Clonakilty, Templemore, Enniscorthy, South Galway and Athlone.

Mr Canney on Monday announced the largest flood relief scheme in Ireland at an estimated cost of €140 million for Cork to protect, 2,000 properties.

And he said he had been chairing the strategic group on the Shannon, involving 10 agencies with responsibilities for Ireland’s longest river.

It will develop a plan for the largest drainage and maintenance project ever taken on the Shannon.

Introducing Fianna Fáil’s motion Roscommon-Galway TD Eugene Murphy said there was an urgent need for a coordinated flood relief and insurance plan for people living in flood affected parts of the country.

“Flooding has affected thousands of people across the country, and last winter’s storms have left some communities absolutely devastated,” Mr Murphy said.

“Lessons must be learned from these catastrophic flooding events, which may increase in frequency and strength as our climate continues to change.”

Mr Murphy said the €480million earmarked for flood defence schemes between now and 2021 had to be fully used, and all planning obstacles and delays should be addressed with no delay.

The Fianna Fáil motion called on the Government to ensure there were no statutory impediments to regulating the water levels on the Shannon and dredging where required.

But Social Democrats TD Roisín Shortall said Fianna Fáil had been in government for years and during the boom while money was spent on lots of things including decentralisation “there wasn’t proper investment in key infrastructure areas. “