COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 14, 2009

QUESTION NO. 24

QUESTION: Councillor E. Tuffy

To ask the Manager if if he will make a report on any interaction between the Council and the Office of Public Works since July 2007 relating to the appointment by the Government of the "office of Public Works as the lead agency to implement flooding policy in Ireland", and if the OPW has contacted the Council in regard to " developing a strategy to manage flood risk in conjunction with other relevant agencies" as set out on page 45 of the Government's National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012, published in 2007?

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council is represented on both the Liffey and Dodder Flood Risk Studies which are in the process of mapping the County in accordance with the Floods Directive – thus identifying areas at risk of flooding. The Office of Public Works is one of the lead authorities on the steering group.

Two meetings of the LIFFEY Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Study Steering Group have been held to date. The main stakeholders attending the steering group meeting include officials from Fingal County Council, Kildare County Council, Wicklow County Council, Dublin City Council, OPW and ESB.

In late 2005/early 2006 the three local authorities in whose functional areas the river Dodder flows i.e. South Dublin County Council (SDCC), Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) and Dublin City Council (DCC) agreed that a study of the river would be commissioned in order to provide a comprehensive report on the Flood Risk Assessment and Management of the river. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is funding the study as it forms part of the national Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Studies (CFRAMS). Dublin City Council is the Contracting Authority on behalf of the three local authorities.  Following the public tendering procedure in early 2006 Dublin City Council appointed consultants/service providers, R.P.S., to carry out the Risk Assessment and Management Report. The major stakeholders, DCC, OPW, SDCC, DLRCC and RPS meet at Steering Group level every three months to review the progress of the contract.  The final plan will require the agreement of all three Councils and the OPW.