Pa Daly
Question:385. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation his efforts to address flooding in Kerry. [73649/25]
View answerThursday, 18 December 2025
Questions (385)
Written answers
The Government through implementing the Flood Risk Management Plans is protecting those properties at significant flood risk from rivers and the sea. The Government has committed to investing some €81m for the design and implementation of flood relief schemes for Co. Kerry to protect 980 properties in Tralee, Kenmare, Abbeydorney and Banna. These are in the first tranche of schemes being progressed.
The OPW is funding three staff in Kerry County Council who are working solely on the delivery of the capital programme in flood risk management.
A Public Consultation Day will be held in the coming months, for the Tralee Flood Relief Scheme, to bring all options appraised to the public for their feedback. It is programmed to submit the scheme to planning at the end of 2026. The scheme is being designed to protect 717 properties from significant flood risk.
The consultants for the Kenmare Flood Relief Scheme have carried out options assessment and identified six fluvial options and three coastal options. It is programmed to submit the scheme to planning early in 2027. The scheme is being designed to protect 235 properties from significant flood risk.
Kerry County Council is completing a wider flood risk assessment in Banna to inform how the design for a scheme for this area can be best managed. This assessment includes the channels to the north and general drainage from the Ballyheigue area. The OPW is completing a feasibility report on the Abbeydorney Flood Relief Scheme.
Through the investment of some €1.3bn in flood relief measures through the National Development Plan, the Government was able to treble, to some 100, the number of flood relief schemes at design and construction, nationally. These are referred to as Tranche 1 schemes. The progression of a second tranche of some 50 other flood relief schemes, identified by the Flood Risk Management Plans, is constrained by the availability of specialised professional engineering skills for the design of flood relief schemes. The Government is also committed to delivering flood relief schemes to protect 410 properties in Dingle, Killarney, Ballylongford, Listowel and Castleisland/Tullig in the second tranche of flood relief schemes across Kerry. The delivery of these is being informed by a pilot on a new delivery model with Kilkenny and Donegal County Councils.
While the proposed scheme in Listowel is not in the first tranche of projects to be progressed, the OPW, through Kerry County Council, is investing €2 million for advance measures in the Clieveragh area of Listowel to protect some 50 properties. These works were completed by the OPW’s own direct labour team and I was delighted to officially open the completion of these works in November 2025.
Following a flood event in Listowel in November 2024, Kerry County Council engaged consultants to provide a report on the flood event. The findings were presented to Kerry Municipal District on 30th April, 2025 and are now available to the public. Kerry County Council discussed the findings of this report with the OPW and interim measures were identified.
I recently visited Listowel and was delighted to be in a position to announce some €0.5m funding by the OPW for flood mitigation measures in Listowel Town Park and Killocrim. These works are now completed.
Minor Works
Coastal erosion and localised flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each local authority to investigate and address. Local authorities can undertake these works within their own resources.
In 2009, the Office of Public Works introduced the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to provide 90% funding to local authorities to undertake studies, coastal erosion or minor flood mitigation works within their administrative areas.
This Minor Works Scheme generally applies where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame, and the costs do not exceed €750,000.
Applications under the scheme are assessed by the OPW having regard to the specific economic, technical, social and environmental criteria set for this scheme. To be approved for funding under this scheme, the benefits from the works must exceed their associated costs.
To date, nationally, the OPW has approved over €70m for over 900 unique local flood relief and coastal projects that are providing benefits to some 8,000 properties.
Since 2009, the OPW has approved some €4.2 million funding to Kerry County Council for some 40 projects. Some €2.9m of this approved funding relates to coastal erosion works and studies.
Under the Minor Works Scheme, it is the responsibility of the local authority to advance the works, once approved by the OPW. This includes all environmental assessments, planning consents, health and safety requirements and landowner agreements.
I recently announced revisions to this Minor Works Scheme, including increasing the maximum funding under the scheme to €2m. My Office is finalising the details of these revisions and I expect to announce these details shortly.
Arterial Drainage Maintenance
The OPW has statutory responsibility for and carries out a programme of Arterial Drainage Maintenance. These maintenance works relate to arterial drainage schemes completed by the OPW under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945, with the primary purpose to improve the drainage of agricultural lands.
The OPW’s annual Arterial Drainage Maintenance Works Programme of the Feale and Maine catchments benefits 26,500 and 11,600 acres of agriculture lands respectively.