Report warns failure to implement flood strategy will harm economy

Ireland’s ability to plan and implement a maintenance regime to manage flooding remains “poor” and a failure to resolve the issue of flooding will “create still more economic challenges” for the State, according to a report on its infrastructure.

The State of Ireland 2013: A review of infrastructure in Ireland is being launched today.

The review was carried out by Engineers Ireland, the national representative body for engineers, and marks the beginning of Engineers’ Week.

The report found Ireland’s water infrastructure was “inadequately maintained”, being “unable to meet peak demand and needs investment”.

With regard to other infrastructure, it found Ireland “struggles” to meet peak demand in transport, and that both communications and energy infrastructure were “properly maintained and of acceptable standard but requiring investment”.

Grading system
The report, which uses a grading system applied by "expert members of Engineers Ireland", analyses five key areas of Ireland's infrastructure: communications, energy, transport, waste, and water and flooding.

In the system, a B grade indicates infrastructure of an “acceptable standard, properly maintained, able to meet demand, though investment needed in the next five years”. A C grade denotes one “inadequately maintained, unable to meet peak demand, and requiring significant investment”.

A D grade means “below standard, poorly maintained, frequent inability to meet capacity and requiring immediate investment to avoid adverse impact on the national economy”.

Communications infrastructure was unchanged from last year with a B+ grade, energy was unchanged with a B grade, waste dropped from a B- to a C, while transport, and water and flooding remained on a C.

The subcategory of flooding, however, fell from a C to a D and the report said the lack of river defences in some towns combined with poorly maintained river channels were “an issue”.

Furthermore, the capacity of local authorities to maintain drainage districts was “unlikely to be improved” due to budgetary cuts.

Local authorities are required to develop emergency response plans to major emergencies, including flood events. Progress in this regard was “inconsistent across the country and can be improved”, the report said.

The development of residential, commercial and industrial properties in floodplains in recent years meant flood risk in these developments would need “careful management” in future years, imposing “additional strains on the resources of local authorities”.

“The curtailment of maintenance regimes to save money in the short term incurs larger costs in the longer term,” according to the report.

Long-term strategy
The Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) studies would be a "major addition" to the way Ireland managed flood protection, and "must be used" to develop a long-term strategy to deal with the problem.

“Ireland needs to move towards tailored flood warning systems across the country and towards an agreed approach to the maintenance of water courses. Significant funding is required for the OPW and local authorities if they are to implement the measures which are necessary to alleviate flooding.”