THE GOVERNMENT is to ring-fence funds in the budget to shore up the State’s flood defences.
Minister of State with Special Responsibility for the Office of Public Works Brian Hayes said about €250 million would be spent on what is being called “critical infrastructure” over the next five years. About 30 projects are at various stages of completion so far this year, including prevention works in Mallow, Fermoy and Clonmel.
Mr Hayes told the Irish National Flood Forum at University of Limerick at the weekend that the Government was committed to investing in flood defences.
“We have ring-fenced a capital budget for flood defences over the next five years. That’s a very significant achievement when one considers that over the last 10 years we have spent €70 billion on capital investment, and over the next five years the Government is going to be spending about €17 billion because we don’t have the money there,” he said.
“A total of €234 million was spent by the State over the last five years, now we will be spending in excess of that over the next five years and I think that’s a very significant achievement given the radical reduction in the capital programme,” he added.
The Government was “acutely aware” of the need for this type of investment in what he described as “critical infrastructure”.
“We have got to continue our investment in flood defences because of climate change but also because of the fact that for many years funding was not put in place and we have got to catch up in a way that other European countries have been ahead of us,” he said.
The flood forum, a voluntary body, was set up by flood victims to help and educate communities after the flooding in November and December 2009.
The second annual forum was held to coincide with the second anniversary of the floods.
Expert speakers addressed the event including Michael Collins of the Office of Public Works, Tom Hayes, civil engineering manager of ESB Energy International at Ardnacrusha, and Michael Silke, chairman of the IFA flood management project team.