Minister Kevin Moran announces approval of the Clonaslee Flood Relief Scheme to be submitted for Planning Consent

Kevin Moran TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) announced today, 25 April 2025, that following OPW approval, Laois County Council will proceed with the submission of a planning application for the Clonaslee Flood Relief Scheme to An Bord Pleanála for planning consent.

Minister Moran said, "I am pleased to announce that following OPW approval, Laois County Council will proceed with a planning application for a flood relief scheme for Clonaslee. I wish to acknowledge the support from the community in Clonaslee that was valuable to inform the design of a scheme for its town, which will protect 74 properties at risk from flooding".

Clonaslee has a history of flooding from the Clodiagh and Gorragh Rivers through a combination of river bank overflow and blockage. In 2020, following the Government’s introduction of Flood Risk Management Plans, Laois County Council with funding from the OPW appointed RPS engineering and environmental consultants to design a flood relief scheme for Clonaslee.

The scheme design for Clonaslee consists of the construction of flood defence walls, construction of embankments, installation of a debris trap and culvert upgrade along the Clodiagh River.

Today’s announcement is the outcome of very detailed engineering analysis, environmental assessments and engagement with the public on the sources of flooding from Clonaslee’s rivers and the options to protect the town.

Minister Moran concluded by highlighting that the Government is investing approximately €45m in flood risk management across Laois and that Clonaslee is one of three active flood relief schemes for the county. Flood relief schemes are also being developed by Laois County Council, with the support of the OPW, in Mountmellick and Portarlington.

The cost of these schemes will be met from the Government’s commitment to managing Ireland’s flood risk through the €1.3bn for flood relief measures set out in the National Development Plan. The design of this and all flood relief schemes is future proofed and is adaptable to meet the increasing flood risk from climate change.

In addition to these major schemes, the OPW has approved approximately €547,000 to Laois County Council under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme for localised flood relief works across 8 other locations in the county.

For all media queries, please contact:

• Barry Nangle, OPW Press Officer, pressoffice@opw.ie

OPW Flood Relief Schemes

• Flood relief schemes are implemented in five stages. They are large, complex, multiannual projects that face a variety of issues and challenges, many of which are neither predictable nor within the OPW’s control. These can include issues relating to ground conditions, timelines for consultations and planning decisions or a limited capacity within the engineering consultancy market. These challenges impact the timeline for flood relief schemes’ delivery, which can take up to ten years to design, develop and construct.
• The Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme is the most in depth study ever undertaken on flood risk in Ireland. Completed in 2018, the programme studied flood risk for two-thirds of the population against their risk of flooding from rivers and the sea.
• This work underpins the OPW’s approach to designing and constructing flood relief schemes for communities most at-risk and is supported by €1.3 billion through the National Development Plan 2021–2030 (NDP).
• To date, 55 schemes have been completed, at a cost of some €500m. Over 13,500 properties are protected by these schemes providing an economic benefit estimated to be in the region of €2 billion.
• A full list of the completed schemes is here.
• Since 2018, the number of flood relief schemes at the design, planning, and construction stage has trebled to some 100 flood relief schemes. This is a result of the NDP investment that has enabled the OPW, in partnership with the local authorities, to progress this work.
• This means that the Government has completed or work is currently underway to protect 80% of properties at risk, based on the CFRAM Programme.
• At all times, the OPW strives to expedite and progress capital flood relief works with the minimum delay within the resources available to it.

A full list of schemes and further information is available on the www.floodinfo.ie website. All major schemes progressed since 2018 have individual websites. These provide relevant scheme information including timelines and budgets to the public.