COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 13, 2023

QUESTION NO. 25

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the CEO to detail his ongoing efforts to prevent flooding in areas at risk throughout our County; will he appreciate the concern of many and make a statement?

REPLY:

There are currently three Flood Alleviation Schemes (FAS) progressing, in partnership with the OPW, at varying stages in South Dublin, that will have a significant impact on reducing flood risk in the catchment areas of these rivers/ streams:

• Whitechurch Stream- At construction stage- scheduled for completion in Q4 2025.
• River Poddle- Planning Permission granted by An Bord Pleanala in June 2023 and currently scheduled to commence on site in Q1 2024, subject to the appropriate licencing being issued by National Monument Services.
• River Camac- At preliminary design stage.

Schemes that continue to provide protection against flooding were completed on the Griffeen River, The Ballycullen Stream (2017) and the improvements on the River Camac (2002).

The programme of Surface Water Minor Capital Works and Flood Alleviation Works will continue in 2024 for which a provision of €435,000 has been made.

A pipeline of works has been identified to include, but not limited to:

• Cloverhill Road / Palmerstown Woods Scheme – new surface water pipeline
• Old Lucan Road surface water drainage
• Tay Lane, Rathcoole surface water drainage
• Rathfarnham Castle Lakes supply
• Knocklyon Green surface water drainage
• Newcastle / Hazelhatch surface water drainage

Planned minor maintenance works will also be carried out as identified, and a programme of upgrades to various screens on watercourses will be undertaken.

A surface water drainage study to assess the surface water within the towns of Newcastle, Rathcoole
and Saggart is currently underway.

General operations to prevent flooding include:

The annual programme of clearing vegetation from our rivers and streams. Trash screens at culvert inlets being regularly checked and cleared, are also inspected regularily and more frequently upon receipt of Met Éireann weather warnings.

Road gullies are cleaned by a contractor working on our behalf as part of the road sweeping contract annual programme. This includes an option to clear up to four times yearly on a portion of the gulley network, plus additional testing of connections, and cleaning/jetting, if necessary.

Reviews are carried out following significant rainfall events with a view to identifying potential future flood risk areas, and these feed into our records and are used to prioritize need for future investment in schemes and minor projects, or revise maintenance plans of channels and piped networks.