Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2026
57. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to consider the establishment of a national flood agency to have a sole focus on the State's approach to flood management and progressing flood relief schemes. [10780/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe OPW has been assigned the responsibility for coordinating the whole of Government approach to meeting the Government’s National Flood Risk Policy. An Interdepartmental Flood Policy Co-ordination Group is chaired by the OPW and is co-ordinating Ireland’s whole of Government approach to flood risk management across the three strategic policy pillars, which contain a broad range of structural and non-structural measures:
• Prevention - e.g. avoiding construction in flood-prone areas,
• Protection - e.g. taking feasible measures, both structural and non-structural, to reduce the likelihood and impact of floods, and
• Preparedness - e.g. informing the public about dealing with flood risk and a flood.
These policy pillars are underpinned by the collection of relevant data, the development of relevant science and evidence, and the undertaking of assessments to inform where flood risk, now and into the future, needs to be addressed.
The role of the Group, as well as monitoring existing policies and measures, is to consider additional policy initiatives to:
• help avoid increasing flood risk,
• deliver structural and non-structural solutions for at risk properties in line with the Flood Risk Management Plans, and
• raise the awareness of flood risk and encourage people, businesses and communities to take action to protect themselves and their properties, and
• to support and assist those people and communities affected by flooding.
As the approach taken by the Group is sector led, the individual members each take responsibility for reviewing and developing further policy initiatives within their sector’s specialised area of responsibility with the sector-led policy initiatives being co-ordinated through the Group.
Through this structure, the relevant Government Departments and other agencies are working together towards the delivery of the Government’s national flood policy. This whole of Government approach to flood risk management is in line with international best practice and has been independently endorsed by Dutch experts. Given the cross-cutting nature of flood risk management and the differing policy measures required, there are no proposals to establish a national flood agency.
