OPW launches new pilot delivery model for Flood Relief Schemes in Donegal Town and Letterkenny

Minister of State for the Office of Public Works, Patrick O’Donovan, today (2 May) announced that flood relief schemes for Donegal Town and Letterkenny are now commencing through OPW funding for three additional engineering and project management staff for Donegal County Council.

The funding for these schemes provides the opportunity for the Office of Public Works (OPW) to pilot together with Donegal County Council a new delivery model for flood relief schemes.

Speaking at the launch of the pilot in Letterkenny today, Minister O’ Donovan said:

He added:

John McLaughlin, Chief Executive of Donegal County Council, welcomed today’s announcement:

Liam Blaney, Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, welcomed the news for the people of Letterkenny and Donegal Town:

The government’s investment in flood relief of €1.3 billion to 2030 under the National Development Plan has allowed the State to treble the number of flood relief schemes that are at design and construction to 90. Together with the 12,500 homes and businesses already protected by completed flood relief schemes in 53 communities nationwide, the Office of Public Works (OPW) and local authorities currently have work completed or underway to protect 80 per cent of at risk properties.

The OPW is now funding five staff in total in Donegal County Council who are dedicated to managing, jointly with the OPW, flood risk schemes across twelve communities in Donegal.

The Minister highlighted that one of the important lessons from the current delivery model is the time taken to gather the necessary data on the causes of flooding and the landscape of a community at risk. The pilot will transfer the management of data gathering, as a first step in designing a scheme, from consultant engineers for a single scheme to the local authorities for all the schemes within their areas of responsibility.

The pilot means data gathering can be scaled up from individual communities to all schemes in a county. As well as bringing economies of scale, the gathered data can then better inform the prioritisation of schemes and the scope of services required from consultants to design and construct flood relief schemes.

The national pilot delivery model will also involve schemes in Freshford and Piltown in County Kilkenny.

These provide ideal locations to trial this new approach given the scale of communities to be protected and as counties that are exposed to flood risk from rivers, tides and the coast.

There are currently some 75 flood relief schemes at design stage. Over the coming eighteen months of this pilot, many of these schemes are programmed to move through planning and to construction. This should free up resources to start many of the 60 schemes yet to commence under the National Development Plan.

The OPW recently discussed with the Directors of Services of the local authorities in the country if the current delivery model is the best delivery model to adopt for the next round of schemes. The pilot is adopting the identified opportunities to improve efficiencies and reduce timelines within the current model. Through a value for money assessment and ongoing discussions with the local authority sector, the pilot model will inform the national approach for the delivery of future flood relief schemes. The pilot will be overseen by a Steering Group chaired by the OPW.

Photography from the Minister’s visit to Letterkenny will be available from Clive Wasson Photography - info@clive.ie

For further information or to request an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the Press Office at pressoffice@opw.ie

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Currently, there are twelve flood relief schemes at design across Donegal that are due to go to planning as follows:

• Raphoe, led by the OPW, is due to be submitted shortly to the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for confirmation under the Arterial Drainage Acts
• planning permission is scheduled to be submitted for flood relief schemes led by Donegal County Council over the coming 12 months for Burnfoot, Castlefin, Na Dúnaibh (Downings), Glenties, Ballybofey and Stranorlar, Buncrana and Luddan, Ramelton
• the OPW is leading the design of a flood relief scheme for Lifford and Kerrykeel (Carrowkeel)

Donegal Town

Donegal Town sits at the mouth of the River Eske where it enters Donegal Bay and its location has long since made it a strategically important and vibrant market town. These traits today make it one of County Donegal’s premier tourist destinations, with many tourist attractions as well as restaurants, hotels and shops. It is also a centre of industry locally hosting multinational and regionally important businesses, and public services such as the Local Authority, Uisce Éireann and the new HSE primary care centre. It is therefore a thriving centre of employment for the county.

However, its geographic location, including its south-westerly aspect, also place it at risk from both coastal and fluvial flooding in addition to pluvial flood risk. This fact is evidenced by historic place names such as Water Street and more recently witnessed first-hand by those living in Clareden Drive, Brookfield, Castle Street and businesses on New Row. Donegal Town has been flooded three times between 2015 and 2019 with Storm Barra in 2021 proving a near miss.

The North Western Flood Risk Management Plan (2018) outlines a flood relief scheme that would protect 75 properties from fluvial or coastal flooding. Donegal County Council has received OPW Minor Works funding to address some of the localised flooding issues pending launch of the main scheme. Donegal Town is also highly susceptible to Climate Change (particularly sea level rise) with at least 50 additional properties at risk under future flooding predictions; this will be considered in Scheme development.

Letterkenny

Letterkenny is, as a Regional Centre in the government’s National Planning Framework, recognising its strategic role as part of the North West City Region. It is already a key urban centre in terms of the regional and national economy and is important as a tourism gateway for County Donegal. Building on this, Letterkenny’s growth ambitions include town centre regeneration, sustainable traffic management with active travel and public transport, increased population, housing, employment, improved water services and enhanced education provision (particularly the Atlantic Technological University).

However, it has been subject to significant flooding, most notably the flooding of Letterkenny University Hospital in 2013 and 2014, and the overtopping of the River Swilly in 2015 which flooded Aura Leisure Centre and the R250. The existing earth embankments along the Swilly under the OPW’s Arterial Drainage Scheme (1961 – 1968) afford a level of protection that is unlikely to be sufficient into the future in the face of increased flood risk due to climate and catchment changes. Significant areas of the town are at risk under future flood scenarios. It is crucial that a new Flood Relief Scheme is put in place which affords Letterkenny sustainable and robust protection into the future.

The North Western Flood Risk Management Plan (2018) outlines a flood relief scheme that would protect 51 properties from fluvial or coastal flooding. Letterkenny is also highly susceptible to Climate Change (particularly sea level rise) with at least 56 additional properties at risk under future flooding predictions; this will be considered in Scheme development.

Other Flood Relief Schemes planned for Donegal are in Carndonagh, Dunfanaghy, Killybegs and Rathmullan.

The OPW is also exploring the viability of schemes for Bunbeg/Derrybeg, Convoy and Moville.