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€257 million for 50 New Flood Relief Schemes

Speaking in Athlone today, launching a ten-year programme of €1 billion in investment in flood relief measures the Minister of State for the Office of Public Works & Flood Relief, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, in the presence on An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, announced a first tranche of €257 million in funding for 50 new flood relief schemes to proceed to detailed design and construction.

The Minister said,

This Government has provided €1 billion for investment in flood risk management measures over the coming decade. 

Evidence from the CFRAM Programme has pointed to the feasibility for Government to invest in a total of 118 flood relief schemes over the coming decade which will provide protection to 95% of those properties assessed to be at significant flood risk.

Minister Moran also launched a new website, www.floodinfo.ie where people can view the community risk and measures in place, underway and now proposed to tackle flood risk in these 300 areas, and nationally.

Speaking at the launch, An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, said,

Flooding can have a devastating impact on families, communities and businesses. If your home or business is badly damaged or destroyed by flooding, the emotional and financial impact is immense. It also has a huge cost to the economy.  I want to pay tribute to the OPW, local authorities, communities and all those organisations who worked together to develop these Flood Risk Management Plans.