A Galway West TD has slammed an extra three year delay expected for Galway city’s already long-fingered flood defences.
Catherine Connolly (Ind ) says she is “gravely concerned” after OPW minister Kieran O’Donnell (FG ) said planning permission for Galway’s Coirib go Cósta flood defence work will not now be applied for until 2027, despite previous Government assurances that an application would be made this year.
“This project has been complex from the start, but it certainly now appears that the extent of flood defences required was seriously underestimated. The lack of information or updates provided by Coirib go Cósta makes it impossible to adequately monitor the situation,” Connolly said in a statement.
Coirib go Cósta is the Galway City Flood Relief Scheme overseen by Arup engineers for a number of public bodies. Its purpose it to design and deliver a viable flood defence scheme for the city other areas in the county, after a Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM ) study was completed.
Not including sea defence re-engineering of Salthill’s Prom, civil construction sources had previously estimated to the Advertiser that protecting up to 1,000 at-risk homes in and around Galway city from flood risks would cost at least €25million.
Responding to Dáil questioning from Deputy Connolly last Tuesday, Minister of State O’Donnell provided an updated estimate for the scheme of €50 million – over five times the original figure of €9.5 million for 940 properties first flagged in 2021.
Depending on the preferred solution for Salthill, it is anticipated by informed observers that overall costs – at current prices - might exceed €95m.
