OPW launches new pilot delivery model for Flood Relief Schemes in Freshford and Piltown

Minister of State for the Office of Public Works, Patrick O’Donovan, today (2 May) announced that flood relief schemes for Freshford and Piltown are now commencing through funding by the Office of Public Works.

The OPW is now funding two staff in Kilkenny County Council who are dedicated to managing, jointly with the OPW, flood risk schemes across four communities in Kilkenny. This provides the opportunity to pilot together with Kilkenny County Council a new delivery model for flood relief schemes.

Minister O’Donovan said:

“I know that these communities have been waiting for some time for work on flood relief schemes in their areas to start. The history and experience of flooding in these communities has brought devastation and is a cause of great concern to the families, business and wider community.”

He added:

“The OPW and local authorities are working in a very challenging environment to deliver and expand the programme of flood relief schemes, due to resource constraints in a highly specialised and professional market. Within the current resource constraints, and from lessons learned to date, trialling a new delivery model for Freshford and Piltown will deliver important flood relief measures for these towns and inform the most efficient approach to delivering the next tranche of 60 flood relief schemes nationally.”

Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr. Pat Fitzpatrick, on hearing the announcement, said:

“I am delighted to welcome this announcement by Minister O’ Donovan which will allow the Flood Relief Schemes in both Freshford and Piltown commence, where the issue of flooding has been ongoing for years. I want to acknowledge the commitment and funding provided by the Office of Public Works for these projects and ongoing projects in Ballyhale and Graiguenamanagh.”

Kilkenny County Council welcomes today’s announcement by Minister O Donovan that Freshford and Piltown Flood Relief Schemes are to commence as pilots for the second tranche flood relief schemes:

“OPW Flood Management Plans 2018 identified both Freshford and Piltown as having properties at risk of flooding and Freshford has endured significant recent flood events. This announcement marks the first step in the process of alleviating flooding in both communities who have long suffered from issues associated with flooding. The announcement will allow Kilkenny County Council to continue with their ongoing efforts to tackle flooding in the County and allow us to use the experience gained on ongoing schemes, in both Ballyhale and Graiguenamanagh, to progress these additional Schemes.”

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, to 90, that are at design and construction. Together with the 12,500 homes and businesses already protected by completed flood relief schemes in 53 communities nationwide, the OPW and local authorities currently have work completed or underway to protect 80 per cent of at risk properties.

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 will also involve schemes in Donegal Town and Letterkenny in County Donegal.

These provide ideal locations to pilot a new delivery model, 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.

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

Find us on Facebook @opwireland