Minister Calleary welcomes €200,000 flood prevention funding for Mayo
Additional funding granted to Mayo to support the removal of river blockages as the Government expands flood mitigation scheme for local authorities
Minister Dara Calleary has welcomed the allocation of €200,000 to Mayo County Council to support the removal of river conveyance blockages and improve local flood prevention measures.
The funding forms part of a nationwide €3 million package announced by Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran to assist local authorities in clearing river blockages that pose an immediate flood risk to homes and properties.
The once-off allocation will enable councils to remove obstructions at river crossings, bridges and culverts that restrict water flow and contribute to flooding.
Minister Calleary said the investment would help tackle one of the key causes of local flooding and welcomed wider reforms to flood mitigation supports.
“Blockages of river conveyancing is one of the main reasons of flooding to properties so any additional funding to tackle that is welcome,” he said.
The Minister also welcomed the expansion of the Office of Public Works’ Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme, commonly known as the Minor Works Scheme, which provides funding to local authorities to address localised flood and coastal erosion risks.
“This will allow local authorities to increase the scope of the [Minor works] scheme and allow for better opportunity for local authorities to address localised flood and coastal erosion risk within their administrative areas,” Minister Calleary said.
“We have seen time and time again the devastation that can be caused by flooding in communities so any measures that are introduced to assist with this is very welcome.”
The Minor Works Scheme has been in operation since 2009 as part of the Government’s flood risk management strategy and supports local authorities in carrying out small-scale flood mitigation works or studies aimed at reducing localised flood and coastal protection problems.
Under the revised scheme, the maximum funding threshold for projects will increase significantly from €750,000 to €2 million, while the OPW contribution for approved projects above €300,000 will rise from 90 percent to 95 percent.
The OPW is expected to issue detailed guidance and supporting documentation to local authorities in the coming days.