Minister O'Donovan announces funding approval for flood mitigation works at Ballintubber Co. Cork

Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Patrick O’Donovan, has announced the approval of Cork County Council’s application for additional funding under the Office of Public Works’ Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. Under the scheme, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has approved funding of €225,361 in addition to €346,500 it had approved in February 2018 due to increased costs since the original approval. This will allow the council to lay 940 metres of pipe from the northern boundary of the nursery (Irish Plant Propagation Ltd.) to the outfall to the existing stream in Ballintubber.

Welcoming the approval, Minister O’Donovan said:

“I am pleased to announce that the additional funding required by Cork County Council to progress the necessary flood mitigation works in Ballintubber has been approved by the OPW. Since the introduction of this scheme in 2009, 40 applications by Cork County Council and over 800 across the country have been approved, enabling local authorities to undertake similar minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas.”

For further information, please contact pressoffice@opw.ie

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Notes

The Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme was introduced by the Office of Public Works in 2009.

The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame.

Under the scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost not more than €750,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects. Applications are assessed by the OPW having regard to the specific economic, social and environmental criteria of the scheme, including a cost benefit ratio.

Works that are normally the responsibility of the local authorities will generally not be considered for OPW funding. Where such works would also mitigate the risk of flooding to properties, partial funding may be considered by OPW.

The Local Authorities must be satisfied that the works will not have a significant impact on flood risk elsewhere.

The commencement and progression of any works for which funding is approved is a matter for each Local Authority concerned.

More information, including annual lists of projects for which funding under this scheme has been approved, is available at Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme.