138 Deputy Mary O’Rourke asked the Minister for Finance the plans the Office of Public Works has for the town of Athlone, County Westmeath and its environs in view of the flooding recently experienced in this area. [7034/10]

The Office of Public Works and Westmeath County Council have recently established a Joint Working Group to look at areas affected by recent flooding throughout the county, including the Athlone area. The Group is charged with the collection of flood level data, an assessment of the damage caused by the flooding and the identification of interim flood mitigation measures. At its first meeting last week, the Group identified a number of specific locations around Athlone where mitigation works may be feasible. In January, the OPW wrote to Local Authorities seeking applications for funding for minor flood relief works and studies they propose to undertake in 2010. It is anticipated that Westmeath County Council will submit applications under this scheme in respect of mitigation works in the Athlone area.