857. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the funding allocated for flood relief projects in County Cork from 2020 to 2026, including projects in Cork north-west prioritised under the CFRAM programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55306/26]

The Office of Public Works, as the lead agency for flood risk management, is coordinating the delivery of measures towards meeting the Government’s National Flood Risk Policy. Since 1995, the OPW has invested some €590m in 57 completed schemes that are providing protection to over 13,640 properties across the country and an economic benefit to the State in damages and losses avoided estimated to be in the region of €2 billion.

In 2018, the OPW completed the largest study of flood risk ever undertaken by the State: the Catchment-based Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. The CFRAM Programme studied 80% of Ireland’s primary flood risk and identified solutions that can protect over 95% of that risk. Some 150 new and additional flood relief schemes were identified through this programme.

Since 2018, a phased approach to scheme delivery, in partnership with Local Authorities, has allowed the OPW to treble the number of schemes at design, planning, or construction at this time to some 100 schemes. The Government has committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of these flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the National Development Plan.

Investment of some €122m in capital expenditure has taken place on flood relief schemes from 2020 to the end of June 2026 in County Cork.

Flood relief schemes are large, multiannual civil engineering projects, and project-related expenditure may be incurred over many years. In the coming years, further schemes will progress through the project stages, will attain planning permission, and will begin construction, requiring increased annual expenditure. As the overall delivery programme advances, the OPW engages with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation regarding capital and current funding requirements through the annual budget process. The OPW is continually profiling its funding requirements based on progress with the delivery of each individual project throughout the financial year. Expenditure on a project may not necessarily occur in the same financial period as the work to which the payment relates due to the extended nature of surveys and consultant activities required early on in flood relief projects. These tasks may be subject to environmental windows and are carried out over a number of seasons prior to invoicing occurring in some circumstances.

Localised flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each Local Authority to investigate and address, and a Local Authority may carry out flood mitigation works using its own resources. Local Authorities may apply to the OPW for funding for flood mitigation and coastal protection works under the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. Since its introduction in 2009, some €70 million has been approved under the Scheme for 930 local authority led projects that are delivering flood mitigation and coastal protection for some 8,000 properties nationwide. Since 2020, the OPW has approved some €3.52 million in funding for some 26 projects in County Cork under the Scheme. While the OPW provides approval in principle for funding, the progression of works remains the responsibility of the Local Authority to progress.

On 25th May 2026, I was pleased to announce that details of the revised criteria for the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme are available, and greatly increase the scope of the Scheme to provide local authorities with a greater opportunity to address localised flood and coastal erosion risks within their administrative areas. The revisions include an increase in the upper threshold in funding for projects from €750,000 to €2m and an increase in the OPW contribution from 90% to 95% for approved funding above €300,000. Further revisions include the relaxing of some economic criteria which lowers the required threshold for viable solutions.

I have taken the lessons learned from Storm Chandra, and other storms, and expanded the Scheme to include interim flood mitigation measures for communities where a major flood relief scheme is planned, but not complete. I am confident that, by availing of this Scheme and introducing interim measures, local authorities will be able to reduce the impact of any significant flood event on the local community until full protection is provided by the completed scheme. The revisions to the Scheme will also better support local authorities in dealing with coastal erosion problems that are impacting local communities. The full details of the revised Scheme are available on the OPW website www.opw.ie.

Appendix 1 provides the requested information through two tables.

• Table 1 provides total capital expenditure from 2020 to 30th June 2026 and current status for: relevant Major Flood Relief Schemes and Completed Schemes in County Cork.

• Table 2 lists the projects and total approved capital funding from 2020 to 30th June 2026 under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme for County Cork.

Information in relation to 2026 is correct as of 30th June 2026

Appendix 1:

Table 1 - Major and Completed Flood Relief Schemes that incurred capital expenditure in 2020-2026.

Table 2 - Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme (Approved Funding: 2020 - June 2026)

*Additional funding request for previously approved Minor Works application