Written answer
Flood Relief Schemes
Midleton’s flood relief planning application is expected by end-2026, with completion by 2031; Tir Cluain advance works are due to start in March 2027.
47. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the status of the Midleton flood relief scheme; and he timeline for when the planning application will be submitted to the relevant authorities. [74904/26]
Comment on this
Cork County Council with funding from the Office of Public Works (OPW), for nine staff for flood projects across the county, is leading the delivery of the Midleton Flood Relief Scheme. Of these, four staff work exclusively on the Midleton Flood Relief Scheme.
Funding for this scheme is part of the Government’s €1.3bn commitment for the delivery of flood relief measures over the lifetime of the National Development Plan.
The Midleton Flood Relief Scheme is currently estimated to be submitted by Cork County Council to An Coimisiún Pleanála under the Planning and Development Acts at the end of 2026 and be substantially complete by 2031, protecting up to 750 properties – that flooded during Storm Babet in October 2023.
Cork County Council has carried out significant engagement with the landowners in Midleton, whose lands are required for the scheme. Information clinics for the affected landowners took place in January 2025, and on 24 August 2026. Individual landowner meetings are ongoing at present.
Cork County Council has completed a number of interim flood defence works in Midleton following Storm Babet in October 2023.
€5.8m in funding was approved by OPW for advance works at Tir Cluain in January 2026 that were consented to under a Part 8 planning application. Works are estimated to commence in March 2027, to provide earlier protection to 135 properties. The commencement of these works is being informed by some ground investigations of the site during the coming weeks.
Cork County Council is rolling out the €5.8m Individual Property Protection (IPP) Scheme across Midleton and East Cork for homes and businesses affected by Storm Babet. This forms part of the Council’s emergency response plans for these areas. The scheme requires some 2,000 flood barriers, and a significant number of these need civil works to have them installed. Cork County Council has advised that all of these works will be completed in November 2026.
A quarterly update by Cork County Council on the Midleton Flood Relief Scheme and the Individual Property Protection scheme was presented at the Midleton Flood Committee meeting on 15th October 2026.