More than €100,000 announced for flood mitigation works in East Cork

More than €100,000 in funding has been allocated by the Office of Public Works (OPW) for minor flood mitigation works in East Cork.

The funding, provided to Cork County Council under the OPW’s Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme, was announced by the Minister of State at the department of public expenditure and reform, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran.

A total of €107,708 has been allocated to the Local Authority and will be used for the procurement of an engineering consultant to conduct surveys and a study, and to recommend measures to mitigate the risk of flooding to properties in Whitegate.

The Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme was introduced by the OPW in 2009, with 65 funding applications by Cork County Council supported since.

The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas.

The scheme generally applies where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame, with applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost no more than €750,000 in each instance.

Applications are assessed by the OPW, having regard to the specific economic, social and environmental criteria of the scheme, including a cost benefit ratio, with funding of up to 90% of the cost available.

The commencement and progression of any works for which funding is approved is a matter for each Local Authority.

For more information, including annual lists of approved projects, see  www.floodinfo.ie/minor-works.