merrion street

Mr. Seán Canney, T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Flood Relief, is pleased to announce receipt of notification that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Mr. Paschal Donohoe T.D., has formally confirmed the River Mall (Templemore) Flood Relief Scheme.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister Canney, said "The effects of flooding are devastating and can be long-lasting for communities and Templemore is no exception, having suffered serious flooding in the past.  I am delighted that this Confirmation will, after the required public notice period, now enable my Office to progress this major scheme of works on the River Mall. The Scheme, when completed, will afford protection to 77 residential and 27 non-residential properties from the 1 in 100-year flood event”. Minister Donohoe stated “I am delighted to be in a position to confirm the River Mall (Templemore) Flood Relief Scheme, which is part of the Government’s €430 million Capital Investment Plan for Flood mitigation initiatives to protect threatened localities from river and coastal flood risk.Earlier this week the Government launched the National Action Plan for Rural Development, setting out concrete actions that the Government is taking to ensure that rural communities are afforded every opportunity for both social and economic development.  Minister Canney went on to say, “There are a significant number of actions in the Plan that represent the whole-of-Government approach to managing flood risk and investing in flood relief measures, to be delivered by the Office of Public Works and other State Agencies.  This year will bring the finalisation of Flood Risk Management Plans to address flood risk in a strategic and planned way for 300 areas of significant risk around the country.  This is building on the record number of flood relief schemes that are currently underway and the ongoing support for localised flooding projects.”The details of the confirmation order are available on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform at http://www.per.gov.ie/en/river-mall-templemore-flood-relief-scheme/. Note to Editors:The Scheme is confirmed under the Arterial Drainage Acts and in accordance with the provisions of the European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Arterial Drainage) Regulations 2012.  The Regulations provide that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform shall consider the environmental impact statement submitted as part of a proposed drainage or flood risk management scheme and determine whether that environmental impact statement adequately identifies, describes and assesses the direct and indirect effects of the proposed scheme.The town of Templemore, Co. Tipperary, lies on the River Mall.  The town has a long history of flooding over the last 150 years.  The most notable flooding in the recent past occurred in November 2000, which affected approximately 40 properties.The proposed Templemore Flood Relief Scheme has evolved through an initial screening process of a range of potential measures typically considered for flood alleviation schemes, the development of potential options and finally the development of a preferred scheme design.There are three main features to the scheme: a line of upstream defences and structures needed to stop overland flow damaging the town; moving the river a few hundred metres to the west of its present location; and works downstream of the town.

The OPW has advised that it will comply with the conditions attached to the confirmation, which arise following consideration of the report of the consultants appointed to review the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  A statutory eight-week period of public notice of the confirmation decision must be observed.  The proposed works will be carried out by the OPW’s direct labour workforce.