Ireland: Minister “Boxer” Moran provides an update on progress with the whole of Government response to Flood Risk Management

The Minister of State for the Office of Public Works & Flood Relief, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran T.D., accompanied by the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe T.D., today gave an update on progress with the whole of Government response to Flood Risk Management. 

Minister Moran said, “Flood risk management has in recent decades been a priority issue for Government to mitigate the damage and costs associated with flooding. The impact of flooding to the economy and the public cannot be overstated. To see homes and businesses destroyed by flooding, which is recurring, has financial and emotional impacts on the individual.”

Through the Office of Public Works’ (OPW) Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme, detailed engineering analysis and assessment has been undertaken for 300 identified communities, including 90 coastal areas, most impacted by flooding.  The CFRAM Programme has been Ireland’s largest ever assessment of flood risk and has produced the road map for the prospective investment by the Government over the next ten years in major new  flood defence schemes to build on the existing comprehensive programme of flood relief capital works. The details of the flood risk and proposed feasible measures for each of the 300 studied communities will be set out in 29 Flood Risk Management Plans. The Plans promote how best to prioritise our resources to where its benefit is greatest. As part of the development of the Plans, the potential impacts of climate change are taken into account.

The evidence from the CFRAM Programme highlights that it would be feasible to invest in flood defence schemes to protect approximately 95% of those properties now assessed at risk from significant flooding. A programme of flood defence schemes is already underway at various stages of design, planning or construction. When completed, this current programme will provide protection to approximately 12,500 properties. A further 11,500 properties could be protected by the delivery of the new feasible schemes that have now been proposed in the Plans.

Minister Moran went on to say, “The Plans, when approved, will allow the Government to build on significant investment on flood defence schemes, since 1995, which has already delivered 40 major flood relief schemes, around the country. These schemes successfully provide protection to 8,500 properties and the economic benefit to the State in damage and losses avoided estimated at €1.7 billion. The development of the flood maps will assist Local Authorities in ensuring that local development plans are cognisant of the potential for flood risk.”

The OPW has submitted the CFRAM Plans to the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform for an independent review of the environmental assessments carried out as required for each Plan. This independent review is nearing completion and once observations are addressed, the final Plans will be formally submitted to the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform for approval, in accordance with the statutory requirements. 

Minister Moran said, “I intend to seek approval for the final Plans in early 2018 and once approved I will announce a prioritised initial tranche of schemes contained within those Plans to be advanced to the more detailed project level of assessment.  A new website will allow people view the flood risk (maps) and the measures (Plans) in place, underway and that are proposed for their area or location of interest.”

Minister Donohoe said, “The Government’s existing Capital Investment Plan includes an increased allocation for flood relief activities, totalling €430m in the period 2016-2021 with the annual budget allocation doubling by 2021.  Based on the requirements arising from the existing programme of capital works and the structural measures proposed in the Flood Risk Management Plans, the OPW has identified the need for significant further investment in flood defences over the next 10 years, subject to the normal Estimates process and the outcome of the forthcoming 10 Year Capital Investment Plan (2018-2027).”

The Ministers concluded, “We are committed to ensuring that flood risk management continues to receive priority attention across the whole Government sector and we will continue to work closely to ensure the planning and delivery of flood relief solutions is achieved in the shortest possible timeframe.  We are seeing major progress being achieved and we will continue with our endeavours in addressing the problem of flooding nationally.”

-ENDS-

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Summary of the Government’s Investment in Flood Risk Management since the Major floods in Winter 2015/2016.

Since Winter 2015/2016 up to the end of October 2017, the Government has introduced a range of measures to further support flood risk in Ireland including:

• Improved planning for future events informed by its review of the response to the Winter 2015/2016 flood event. This review was prepared by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, a section of the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government. Implementation of the recommendations of this report is being undertaken by the relevant bodies and overseen by the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning.
• Invested €70m in major flood defence schemes, 3 have been completed in this period, with a further 10 under construction and 25 schemes at design and planning stages.
• Invested in 87 Minor Works schemes across all Local Authority areas, at a cost of €4m and providing protection to 1,000 properties.
• Reviewed the criteria for the Minor Works Scheme, with significant improvements to the Scheme, with project threshold increased to €750,000, inclusion of farms as commercial premises, updated calculation of benefit for agricultural land and other associated revisions.
• Introduced structures and prepared an implementation plan to support the establishment of the National Flood Forecasting Service over a number of phases. Given the complexities involved in establishing, designing, developing and testing this new service, it is anticipated that it will take at least 5 years before it is operational.
• Promoted greater awareness for the public to plan for a flood event in their homes and businesses, including through the focus of the national Be Winter Ready campaign in Winter 2016/2017 as well as the OPW’s Plan, Prepare, Protect booklet.
• Supported communities’ preparedness by working with the Irish National Flood Forum.
• Reviewed the Government’s policy on flood insurance and have actively engaged with the insurance industry to support greater flood insurance coverage in all areas, including those protected with demountable defences.
• Finalised and soon to publish 29 Flood Risk Management Plans that contain detailed assessment of flood risk and the feasible measures to be taken forward to protect approximately 95% of the properties at risk within the areas identified as being potentially at significant flood risk.
• Funded two Individual Property Protection pilots in Thomastown and Graiguenamanagh in County Kilkenny and Crossmolina in County Mayo. These pilots are now informing the potential costs, benefits and administrative arrangements for consideration by Government of targeting any feasible assistance to homeowners to install individual property protection measures.
• Agreed the administrative arrangements for a Homeowners Voluntary Relocation Scheme for those primary residential properties that flooded during December 4th 2015 to January 13th This is a once-off national scheme of humanitarian assistance, targeting aid at those worst affected residential homes by that flood event for which there are no alternative feasible measures.
• 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 Group is trialling the lowering of the lake levels on Lough Allen, since 2016It is developing a plan for strategic maintenance, to help reduce further deterioration of the River Shannon, and is considering the development of viable flood risk reduction measures in the Shannon Callows.