Kevin Boxer Moran

To be honest, I cannot say. However, I visited the castle a number of weeks ago and saw at first hand exactly the damage caused. I will take back with me that the Deputy got a response that it would be done in 2025 and revert to him in writing. I will pursue it because I fell in love with the castle when I went there. It is a fabulous facility.

In defence of why it did not happen in 2025, and as I said in my report, it is due to weather. The type of material we use to do with the castle is all down to weather. If we do not get the weather, we cannot do it.

I am not trying to cover for why it was not done but I know it is seasonal.

I have this right around the country where people, such as the Deputy, raise the question, but in defence of my Department, I have to say we have a very small window in which to do it. I will come back to the Deputy in writing to give it more flesh.

The Deputy has raised this in the committee and here in the House. As I said to him, a judicial review held up that whole scheme. We got consent and were ready to go, and then came the judicial review. Once it comes through the planning process, we will be on the ground. As I explained to the Deputy, I am working extremely hard to try to do this. He can play a part by going to talk to the people w…

The OPW and Clare County Council have an extensive programme of flood risk management works across Clare during 2025. Clare County Council is currently leading the delivery of flood relief schemes in County Clare in the townlands of Springfield, Kilkee and Shannon, Bunratty and Kilrush. These schemes are funded by the OPW from the Government's €1.3 billion investment in flood measures under the na…

I could not agree more. As the Deputy said, there is a lot of good and positive stuff happening in County Clare. The Department is working closely with the local authority on the local drainage scheme and it is supported by the Government, which is very important. I am looking closely at the issue the Deputy spoke about. I am looking at vegetation clearing, getting into the rivers and working with…

I could not agree more with the Deputy on insurance. My job is to protect communities up and down the country. My officials and I hope to meet the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, on this. The Government is very much focused on this issue and we understand it. I get it, the same as the Deputy gets it. I get requests to write letters of comfort as well and I wonder what it is all about. My Departmen…

The Government has committed to investing a sum of €81 million for the design and implementation of flood relief schemes for County Kerry. Tralee, Kenmare, Abbeydorney and Banna are all in the first tranche of schemes to be progressed, with Dingle, Killarney, Ballylongford, Listowel and Castleisland-Tullig in the second tranche. Engineering and environmental consultants were appointed in quarter …

As I said, €81 million in investment has been given to Kerry County Council. The Deputy talked about coastal protection. Since 2009, €4.2 million has been given to the minor flood mitigation and coastal protection scheme. This also includes €2.9 million for coastal erosion work. My Department is very much working with the local authority, particularly in Kerry. We know too well the issues people a…

I know too well the problems people face. There is nothing as bad as getting up in the morning or going to bed at night when there is rain or wind. I know too well the suffering, worry and stress this causes whole families and the people around them. The Government is very much committed to delivering schemes. As I said, in the last few years we delivered between €68 million and €74 million. By t…

I will ask my line manager if he will organise a helicopter because I have had so many requests today that I will be flying.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue today. I am fully aware that flooding has a significant impact on people, families, businesses and communities. I refer in particular to the widespread flooding caused by Storm Babet in October 2023. To date, the OPW has completed 55 flood relief schemes nationwide. These are providing protection to over 13,500 properties, and an economic benefi…

As the Deputy knows, I have visited Midleton and know too well the strain that is on the people there and the other groups, particularly in the other areas that have been flooded. No one knows that better than I do. Since my taking up this role, we have gone from five schemes to 13 schemes, with 11 at construction and two more to follow this year. That is a huge jump. The OPW is working with the l…

We should get phone pouches for the Dáil.

The publication of the internal audit report by the OPW, following the review of projects costing €500,000 and under is welcome. It follows a commitment to learn from the bike shelter project and presents the internal audit findings, control recommendations and management response. The OPW has accepted and is actively implementing all the recommendations within the report. The internal audit repor…

Following the OPW chairman's report on the bike shelter and his appearance before the Oireachtas committee, he was frank in acknowledging the overall cost of delivering the covered bike shelter at Leinster House was unacceptable in the wider context of value for money and value for the taxpayer. Following his commitment to learn from the bike shelter project, the chairman wanted independent assura…

I have 100% full confidence in myself as Minister of State and in the OPW. It is a 35-page report with 18 recommendations. Some people criticised the delay regarding the report. That was because I, as Minister of State, wanted to make sure we implemented all the recommendations in the report. We put our hands up. There were mistakes made. We have to improve and we are improving. Based on the final…

There is a long history of flooding in Ballyvourney and Ballymakeera. The Office of Public Works, working in partnership with Cork County Council, is proactively progressing a preferred option for the viable flood relief scheme in Ballyvourney and Ballymakeera that will protect 90 properties from significant risk of flooding. The OPW drafted an options report for a proposed flood relief scheme fo…

I am delighted the Deputy mentioned the interim work. Cork County Council commissioned consultants to complete the design of the interim work on flood measures for Ballyvourney and Ballymakeera. The Office of Public Works approved funding of €500,000 to Cork County Council under the OPW minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme for the provision of temporary flood defence measures…

All studies to date will enhance the development of the scheme. I cannot give an up-to-date answer to the second part of the Deputy's question but I will visit his neck of the woods. I know he has raised this issue over and over again. I will meet the local authority to try to move this issue on. The interim works are good and help to alleviate some of the problem but the overall project is the de…

The Government is investing a sum of €113 million in flood relief measures completed or under way across counties Kilkenny and Carlow. In 2018, the OPW launched the flood risk management plans. Due to constraints in specialised engineering consultancy services and skills, it is not feasible to concurrently deliver all 150 flood relief schemes identified by the plans. Kilkenny County Council is le…

It is open to the local authority to apply to the OPW for 90% funding for localised flood mitigation works up to €750,000 through the minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme. This money is available through the minor works scheme for which the local authority can apply. I, like Deputy Cleere, am sometimes frustrated by the delay in delivering the scheme, but from when you announ…

As I outlined, the Deputy is lucky in the sense that Kilkenny and Donegal have been picked for tranche 2 for the pilot scheme. How we can deliver on tranche 2 is something I am looking closely at within my Department, because we have so many schemes out there. We must not get away from the fact of how many schemes are progressing and are at planning stage, delivery stage, and construction stage. T…

I very much welcome the opportunity to address the House matters relating to flooding. As Deputies are aware, this is a priority issue for the Government. We are focused on the delivery of flood relief management measures to address flooding issues for communities across the country. I will be brief in outlining some of the relevant context, achievements and challenges in relation to actions that …