It is “crucial” that people living along Dublin's Dodder River engage in a public consultation on a draft plan which aims to prevent flooding in the river’s catchment area, the Minister of State for the Office of Public Works has said.
A draft plan of the Dodder Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) study with accompanying flood maps which identify locations at risk of flooding will be open for public consultation for the next three months.
Speaking at the launch of the consultation process in the offices of South Dublin County Council in the County Hall in Tallaght today Brian Hayes said that it was essential the public got involved.
"Having the public involved is crucial so when it gets to the point of delivering a solution, be it via a new wall or a culvert or taking ownership of land or whatever, that the public back us in the difficult positions," he said.
"Some of those solutions can be controversial and can be difficult for the community. So the greater the volume of support from the community via this public consolation the easier it will be."
Mr Hayes said there had been occasions in the past where communities rejected proposals that the city council and the OPW put forward: "clearly not enough consultation went in there to bring the community with them, so consolation is crucial".
He said there were two very different sides to the Dodder: "one a beautiful picture of a fantastic public amenity, the other a very dangerous river at times".
"Some very, very serious events have occurred along the river over the past 30 years or so, hurricane Charlie in particular in 1986. [Then] last October as we know the devastating consequences of the rainfall flooding caused two deaths, two fatalities and in one case in Harold's Cross the young lady who was killed was as a result of the Dodder breaching its banks."
He said that €8.5 million had been spent on flood prevention works in the past three years particularly in the Lansdowne/Ballsbridge area where the land is at its lowest point and where the combination of heavy downfall and coastal flooding can have devastating consequences.
"We were very lucky last October that the tides were down that night. Had they been up the flooding would have been much more extensive," he said.
Mr Hayes said that €45 million is to be spent each year for the next four to five years on capital projects across the country.
The Dodder CFRAM study has been underway since 2005 and is managed by Dublin City Council on behalf of the OPW and South Dublin County Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.
The key recommendations in the draft management plan include:
- flood defences in the Lower Dodder at four locations, namely Donnybrook; Shanagarry Apartments and Smurfit Site; Orwell Gardens and St Enda's; and Tara Hill
- earth embankment flood defences on the Lower Dodder
- improved forecasting, public awareness and flood warnings
The deadline for comments from the public is June 6th 2012.