Kevin Boxer Moran
Longford-Westmeath · Independent · Ireland
“I understand the Deputy's frustration and that of the people in the Gort lowlands. This is a very complex scheme. It is one of the most complex we have in the country. When we talk about swallow holes, turloughs and underground water, it is very complex. That is why we have the experts in the field working on this.”
“There has been a significant amount of public and stakeholder consultation for the scheme and Galway County Council and the OPW are presenting the emerging preferred option. The scheme, when completed, is expected to provide protection to 115 properties: 50 residential and 65 commercial.”
“This is a complex scheme but as the Deputy is aware, I made changes to the minor works scheme to allow local authorities to look at measures to facilitate them and the funding is there in that regard. That could be looked at.”
“I thank the Deputy for his kind words. The OPW does good work right across the region and particularly in his constituency, as he has outlined. I get asked to take over this castle or this monument every day of the week, and I do not have an endless pot to do that.”
“The Office of Public Works, OPW, and Galway County Council are working together on the development of the south Galway, Gort lowlands, flood relief scheme with Galway County Council acting as the lead authority.”
“It is not always the case that the OPW is delaying it; we are not. We are working collectively with Galway County Council in this case and with the people. We have had a number of consultations and I will continue to engage with the Deputy and others. I have been invited down to a meeting there shortly.”
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“No one knows more than me about Elm Park. I visited it in 2018 after the big flood. I know the pressure those families are under. I have also been in contact with those families. Since taking office, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and I met with the Minister, Deputy Browne. That was during the summer and, since then, we have moved to try to find a solution. However, the Deputy must understand it is not as simple as flicking a switch. We are working collectively and we want a resolution. I do not want people in Elm Park suffering and having to contact me on a daily basis. I want to reach out to them and offer the support they deserve. I assure the Deputy the whole of the Government is working together to find a resolution to help the people in Elm Park. I, more than anyone, want to do that.”
“Work on a possible option is progressing with the affected homeowners, the Department of housing, and with local government.”
“I am aware of the flood risk to these Elm Park residents and that these homes are affected by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction. I understand that all but one of these homeowners have opted to avail of the defective block scheme, at a cost of €2.9 million. I recognise that the residents are concerned about the length of time before these flood scheme works would be completed and have asked my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne, with myself that consideration be given to relocation options. The Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, has held two meetings with me to explore a viable workable solution for the homeowners.”
“The Buncrana flood relief scheme has an estimated budget of €6.8 million and, when built, will protect 32 properties. Work on the design of a viable flood relief scheme is progressing and is due to be submitted for planning consent in quarter three of 2027 and completed in 2031. Nine properties at Elm Park that experienced significant flooding in 2012 and in 2017 are included in this scheme's overall benefitting area. The estimated cost of managing the flood risk for these nine properties in Elm Park is about €1 million. This is a viable option and work to progress the design and planning consent is continuing. Donegal County Council is leading the scheme delivery and has been in correspondence with the residents of Elm Park.”
“I welcome the opportunity to provide an update to the Deputy on this important matter. In 2018, the flood risk management plans identified that 150 flood relief schemes are required to manage the significant risk from flooding. Since then, the OPW has trebled, to the sum of 100, the number of flood relief schemes at design, planning and construction. These are in the first tranche of the schemes and commencing work on the tranche 2 schemes is constrained by the availability of specialist engineering skills for designing flood relief schemes. Sixteen flood relief schemes were identified in County Donegal under the flood risk management plans announced in 2018. Twelve of these projects are included in the first phase of implementation, with interim measures being piloted by Killybegs.”
“It is about us all working together with the Save our Shannon Organisation and every other organisation to deliver for the communities.”
“I can honestly say that in my five years of absence, very little machine work happened on the Shannon, but I am now back at the helm and I will work to make sure we deliver. I will try to work with the local community, particularly the farmers. I have a role to play from one end of the Shannon to the other. The changes I have made are significant in bringing forward and helping local businesses, the local farming community and householders. We all need to work together. Everyone is jumping up and down on social media blaming the OPW and the Government. The Minister on my right has given me the money to do the work, but there are environmental things I must adhere to. The Deputy knows that if I went in and did the opposite, like what happened in Lough Funshinagh, we would back to the drawing board and nothing would get done.”
“I have responsibility for the Shannon from one end to the other. I meet many different groups and I understand fully where everyone is coming from. As I said to the Deputy at the outset, we all have to work together. The flooding of the Shannon onto a flat surface is a major problem arising from climate change. I met the group the Deputy mentioned after taking up my role. I will meet it again next week and I will set out what we are going to do over the next number of months. When I was in government previously, I undertook huge changes to the Shannon in terms of strategic maintenance. We put machines on the river when a machine had not been on the river for a great number of years, or ever. As the former Deputy Denis Naughten said, there had not been one since Queen Victoria left. We achieved it and we did it.”
“I also should say to the Deputy that I announced a vegetation blockage and cleaning scheme. Funding can be sought from my Department for such works. That is open.”
“We are after having so much rain over the last number of days and levels are rising. I understand the concern from the farmers up and down the callow system, but I assure the Deputy that I am doing everything within my power, working with the agencies that are involved, to alleviate the problem for people. It is not easy. Climate change is having a real effect. People talk about what has happened over 40 years, but 40 years on, we see the difference from climate change and the effect it has had. I am working, and continue to work, with all agencies but particularly with the farming community along the Shannon. If you look at what we have done from Athlone right down to Limerick and all the flood schemes that are in place, that is enormous, as are the other works being carried out.”
“I did outline plans, Deputy. As I said, a total of 24 strategic maintenance works will be carried out over the next number of months. Since I resumed my role in the Office of Public Works, I have put forward a number of changes, particularly with regard to the minor works scheme, where local authorities play a key role. I changed the criteria from €750,000 to €2 million. That gives a greater role for the local authority to come to my Department to seek funding to do works, particularly for the areas mentioned in the Deputy's question. I know the issues regarding the River Shannon at first hand. I know the trauma they cause people. I must also point out, as the Deputy mentioned, that the area of Athlone and Meelick is almost flat. It is only a foot of a fall.”
“The group also produces an annual work programme to identify extensive work and the co-ordination under way to manage the Shannon. The plan encompasses phase works, maintenance, management, policy and planning. The group’s website, rivershannongroup.ie , was recently launched. The website contains information on the significant programme of flood relief schemes that the OPW is progressing in partnership with local authorities. This programme protects communities in the Shannon catchment and provides real-time information on the management of water levels by ESB and Waterways Ireland. Minutes of the meetings of the group and plans can also be found on the website. I remain fully committed to working with the group and key stakeholders to improve the management of flood risk on the River Shannon.”
“The group approved the appointment of an ecological consultant to carry out high-level environmental studies in relation to a proposed project of the removal of pinch points along the Shannon Callows. The findings of this study highlight that significant environmental assessment is required to fully assess the impact of any such project. The group has established a dedicated working group to consider next steps, including the consideration of further options to address flood risk on the Shannon Callows. In 2016, the group agreed to introduce the protocol to reduce the levels on Lough Allen. The ESB has obtained a section 21 licence under the wildlife Acts from the National Parks and Wildlife Service to continue with the temporary operation of the protocol to reduce the lake levels on Lough Allen for this coming winter period.”
“The Shannon flood risk State agency co-ordination group was established by the Government in 2016 to enhance the ongoing co-operation of all State agencies involved with the River Shannon and to introduce co-ordinated solutions that may have a benefit in managing flood risk in the Shannon catchment. The group is focused on prioritising actions and activities that can help manage flood risk along the River Shannon. A programme of strategic maintenance for 24 sites along the River Shannon has been approved by the group and Waterways Ireland is carrying out this work on its behalf. I announced that funding of €2 million is available for such maintenance. I have asked my officials to engage with other key stakeholders along the Shannon to identify further sites that they believe may require maintenance.”
“That is the echo coming across from everybody in government. We have learned from the past but we have to move on. We cannot stop the progress of delivering for the people of Ireland. We talk here all day about infrastructure projects not getting going, but we cannot keep going back to the past. We have to learn from the past, which we have done, but we have to move forward and move forward together as a Government.”
“As the Deputy mentioned, I work closely with the Minister, Deputy Chambers. As I said, we brought in all these new rules and regulations. I am quite satisfied that as we go forward with the projects the OPW carries out, we will do them within budget and on time. We have a huge portfolio and an awful lot of areas. In some cases, we have to work with contracts. When I say that we "work with contracts", I mean that we could go into a site where we were to do work on a roof but discover halfway through there is more work to be done with that roof. Do we then stop the contract or the people doing the work? No, we have to continue on. I will continue to do that in the best interests of the public in terms of value for money. I am working right across the board with all Departments, mostly with my own, to deliver value for money.”
“Since I came to the Department, I inherited the problem everyone mentions in relation to the bike shelter, but I assure the Deputy that rules and regulations have been brought in. With the Department and I working together, along with the chairman of the OPW, I am quite satisfied that what happened in the past will not happen in the future. The Deputy raised a question on Castletown.”
“As the Deputy is aware, the OPW is a significant and large organisation with a wide-ranging remit. It is currently processing 100 flood scheme projects and maintains 11,500 km of channel and 800 km of earth embankments. It maintains over 2,000 properties, including offices, Garda stations, parks, gardens, heritage buildings, accommodation for over 50,000 civil servants, which is up by 15,000 over the last ten years, and over 500 office buildings nationwide. It deals with 38,000 client requests through the OPW help desk and with 15 million visitors a year, which is great for our touristed areas. I assure the Deputy I will not be found wanting as the head of my Department.”
“In addition, new guidance on capital works projects with an estimated value of less than €500,000 was fully implemented earlier this year. This guidance covers the approval and oversight for smaller capital works projects and will further strengthen project oversight, regardless of project size. All the recommendations of the internal audit report in March have now been implemented and are assisting in embedding additional value for money consideration and evidence across OPW projects.”
“The OPW takes a structured and thorough approach to delivering value for money across both its capital and current expenditure programmes, with the capital expenditure programme grounded in the principles and requirements of the infrastructure guidelines and adherence with the capital works management framework. The capital works management framework aims to deliver cost certainty, better value for money and more efficient project delivery. This is achieved through standardised contracts, guidance notes and a structured approach to project management. The OPW follows this policy instrument to deliver compliant tender processes and construction projects, ensuring that projects achieve value for money, are delivered in an efficient manner, and meet the needs of Government and our clients across the system.”
“Securing value for money is a central priority for both this Government as well as the Office of Public Works, OPW. It is at the heart of all decision-making at every stage of a policy, project or programme's lifecycle, as it should be. Securing value for money is both a priority as well as our duty. It is at the forefront of decision-making on all projects in the OPW, at all stages. The OPW is obliged to adhere to the robust guidance in place to treat public funds with due care and always ensure we pursue optimal value for money. I assure the Deputy that we take our responsibility and obligations very seriously.”
“This project will enhance that whole part of the city and do an awful lot for tourism and the people of Dublin. While it is important for the whole country, it is particularly so for the people of Dublin who cherish this area, as do I and as does everybody in the House. We will work together going forward. I assure the Senator that, with my commitment as Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and that of my colleagues, we will fully progress the scheme.”
“I could not agree with the Senator more and it is the Minister who has only just gone out the door. While it has taken so long to get to where we are, we have moved a long way. As the Senator said at the outset, many different bodies and agencies have been involved to get to where we are. I have shown huge commitment to this project as has the Taoiseach. We visited the site to look at it at first-hand. The work being done at 14-17 Moore Street is phenomenal. It is painstaking and slow work that takes an awful lot of time, but next year when we get contractors on site, we will see it progress much faster. I remember Moore Street as it was when I first learned to drive a car. We still do nearly all of our shopping on Moore Street and to see it change so much, when I returned there only recently, frightens me in a sense.”
“It will honour those who took part in the Rising and create a meaningful and enduring visitor experience of national and international importance. The Government remains fully committed to this project, and I thank the Senator for her ongoing engagement and support as we move closer to the delivery of this important commemorative centre.”
“At this point, it is not possible to give definitive start and completion dates for the full programme of works prior to the approval of ministerial consent and the completion of procurement. However, the Moore Street project remains a Government priority, and subject to these statutory and procurement processes, it is anticipated that on-site progress will be made in 2026. The OPW and the Department Housing, Local Government and Heritage continue to work closely to progress the project in line with Government direction and statutory requirements. Interim protective measures remain in place to protect the historic fabric while the necessary design, consent and procurement processes are completed. The conservation and presentation of 14-17 Moore Street represent a major national heritage project.”
“A design team was appointed to lead the development of detailed proposals for the conservation of 14-17 Moore Street. The design has now progressed to a point where the major conservation and design decisions have been settled. An application for ministerial consent under the National Monuments Acts 1930 has recently been lodged and is currently under consideration. In parallel, interpretive designers have advanced the permanent exhibition to detailed design stage. There is no statutory decision timeframe for ministerial consent beyond a specific two-week consultation period with the National Museum of Ireland. For programming purposes, the OPW has assumed a decision period of approximately eight weeks.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this important matter concerning the future of the national monument at 14-17 Moore Street. These buildings are among the most significant surviving locations associated with the Easter Rising and are central to the State’s ongoing commitment to commemorating and preserving our shared history. As the Senator will be aware, the Government decided to accept the recommendations of the Moore Street advisory group and instructed the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Office of Public Works to advance a project to conserve the national monument at 14-17 Moore Street and to open it as a visitor site commemorating the events of Easter Week 1916. Since that Government decision, significant work has been undertaken to advance the project.”
“Working together to deliver on this is far better than political point-scoring, which does not achieve anything. What we have to do is deliver for the people of Bailieborough. I know that is what the Senator set out to do, and that is what I want to do. I spoke to my officials about this only a couple of weeks ago and I have spoken to the Minister for Justice, and I am very confident that the Minister and I will be up in Bailieborough early in the new year.”
“As the Senator said at the outset, guards have used the barracks since the 1800s. I travelled the length and breadth of Ireland over the summer period and met politicians and gardaí crying out for new Garda stations. The gardaí in the existing station, which has been in place since the 1800s, are going to go into a new, state-of-the-art building. I was the one who purchased the site in 2018. I have come back into this job and I am as frustrated as the Senator, but delays happen. It is a massive project; it is Garda headquarters. I assure the Senator that it will be opened in early 2026. To give the exact date would be unfair on my part because it is a matter for the Garda, but I assure the Senator that the works will be completed.”
“The contractor and the design team continue to work to address these issues and progress the works on the site as quickly as possible. It is expected that all works will be completed by early 2026. Thereafter, An Garda Síochána will commence occupation of the building. The date for the opening of the station is an operational matter for An Garda Síochána.”
“These works can be described as additional works to the original contract. They allowed for the provision of extra secure operational opportunities for An Garda Síochána. The changes also improved safety aspects of the project such as enhanced fire strategy and additional space for turning vehicles in the secure courtyard, which was very tight, and improved the energy performance of the building. These extra works are progressing as part of the overall project but have added to the time needed to complete the works on the new Garda station. Additionally, the invasion of the Ukraine in February 2022 led to supply chain delays for all construction projects and the Bailieborough Garda station project was impacted.”
“During the initial construction phases of the development, the adjacent site to the east was purchased with the intent to improve the health and safety aspects of the new Garda station, to enhance the operational working of the station and to increase the energy performance of the building. There was an expectation by An Garda Síochána that these improvements would be realised at some time in the future. It made sense logistically, technically and financially to undertake these changes while the contractor was on site rather than sometime in the future, especially given the level of construction inflation being experienced at that time. The purchase was approved by the Garda estate management and the associated planning permission for the works was granted in September 2023.”
“A new site for a district headquarters Garda station was purchased in Bailieborough in 2018. A Part 9 planning application was granted in December 2018. After the adjoining site was purchased in 2021, proposals were developed to extend the project to encompass the footprint of the adjacent site. The project for a new Garda station at Bailieborough, County Cavan, includes conservation of the existing former National Irish Bank building and the construction of a new three storey over basement building to the rear of the site located on the town’s main street. A significant portion of these works are now complete. The OPW placed a contract with the main contractor on 12 November 2021 and the main works commenced in January 2022.”
“I know too well what the Deputy explained today. I have seen it first hand in my town of Athlone. Now that the flood defences are almost complete in Athlone, I see the pressure that is off the people and what it does for businesses. It gives people quality of life. I look forward to meeting the Deputy in Kerry.”
“I know too well the problems people face. There is nothing as bad as getting up in the morning or going to bed at night when there is rain or wind. I know too well the suffering, worry and stress this causes whole families and the people around them. The Government is very much committed to delivering schemes. As I said, in the last few years we delivered between €68 million and €74 million. By the end of this year, a total of €93 million will be delivered through schemes. That shows that in the few months of this Government, with the help of the Minister, Deputy Chambers, and the finances we have, we are delivering for the people. There are backups and delays we have to work through to see, as I said at the outset, whether we can slimline the planning process to try to deliver faster for the people.”
“The Minister outlined major infrastructure problem areas and the backlog in delivering major schemes. I am looking at this in my Department to see if we can streamline how we deliver schemes in terms of the planning process. As I said earlier, 11 years to deliver a scheme is too long. There are constraints that we need to comply with and deliver on. I will work closely with the Deputy.”
“As I said, €81 million in investment has been given to Kerry County Council. The Deputy talked about coastal protection. Since 2009, €4.2 million has been given to the minor flood mitigation and coastal protection scheme. This also includes €2.9 million for coastal erosion work. My Department is very much working with the local authority, particularly in Kerry. We know too well the issues people are facing right around the country, not just down in Kerry. I will visit Kerry in the not-too-distant future to look at the situation and talk to people. When I was last in government I worked very closely with the local authority in Kerry and we delivered a number of projects. I look forward to looking at those and also the areas Deputy Cahill raised today.”
“The council recently requested the consultant to assess the delivery programme for the recommended short-term measures, including rising the embankments at Killacrim. Once complete, this assessment, which may require hydraulic modelling, will inform a meeting with the OPW in the coming weeks to discuss implementation and funding mechanisms for any viable measures. Any requirement for environmental assessments for these works will inform the timeline for their delivery.”
“Assessing the flood risk in Kenmare is complex and it is expected the design option will be made available to the public for consultation in mid-2026. Works on the Finnihy river were completed in early 2024 to mitigate the flood risk. While the Listowel scheme is not in the first tranche of projects to be progressed, the OPW, through Kerry County Council, is investing €2 million for advance measures. Following a flood event in Listowel in November 2024, Kerry County Council engaged consultants to provide a report on the flood event. The findings were presented to Kerry municipal district on 30 April 2025 and are now available to the public. Kerry County Council has discussed the findings of this report with the OPW.”
“The Government has committed to investing a sum of €81 million for the design and implementation of flood relief schemes for County Kerry. Tralee, Kenmare, Abbeydorney and Banna are all in the first tranche of schemes to be progressed, with Dingle, Killarney, Ballylongford, Listowel and Castleisland-Tullig in the second tranche. Engineering and environmental consultants were appointed in quarter 3 2021 to deliver a flood relief scheme for Tralee. Emerging options are scheduled to be identified in quarter 4 2025 and will be made available to the public for consultation. It is expected that this scheme will be submitted for planning in quarter 4 2026. Engineering and environmental consultants were appointed in quarter 2 2022 to deliver a flood relief scheme for Kenmare.”
“I could not agree more with the Deputy on insurance. My job is to protect communities up and down the country. My officials and I hope to meet the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, on this. The Government is very much focused on this issue and we understand it. I get it, the same as the Deputy gets it. I get requests to write letters of comfort as well and I wonder what it is all about. My Department has spoken with the Minister of State's Department. We are working closely on this to see if we can deliver something.”
“I could not agree more. As the Deputy said, there is a lot of good and positive stuff happening in County Clare. The Department is working closely with the local authority on the local drainage scheme and it is supported by the Government, which is very important. I am looking closely at the issue the Deputy spoke about. I am looking at vegetation clearing, getting into the rivers and working with the local authorities. I hope to have good news on that in the near future. I have been working closely with local authorities and elected representatives up and down the country, all of whom face the same problem. They tell me that the rivers are never cleaned and this is not done when flooding occurs. However, it means working with the local authorities and we also have to comply with environmental rules.”
“Clare County Council proposes to carry out coastal minor works as part of the 2025 programme at Aughinish Island, north Clare, Marine Parade, Kilkee and Ballynacally, and Newmarket-on-Fergus. The works include underpinning and strengthening of the existing sea walls and reinforcement of existing earthen embankments. Clare County Council has also appointed consultants to carry out a condition survey and performance upgrade options review of the tidal barrage at Clarecastle. Non-coastal works at Gullet Cross and Mountcashel are also due to be carried out in 2025.”
“Work to finalise the design of the Shannon flood relief scheme to protect 1,400 properties is continuing and the scheme option is scheduled to be submitted for planning approval in quarter 2 2026. The OPW is working with Clare County Council on a potential flow path in Bunratty, which may increase the knowledge of the flood risk in this area to inform the feasibility study of the scheme. Clare County Council is finalising tender documents for technical consultancy services for the Kilrush flood relief scheme and plans to issue these later this year. Since 2009, the OPW has approved funding under the minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme of €3.8 million to County Clare for some 42 projects.”
“The OPW and Clare County Council have an extensive programme of flood risk management works across Clare during 2025. Clare County Council is currently leading the delivery of flood relief schemes in County Clare in the townlands of Springfield, Kilkee and Shannon, Bunratty and Kilrush. These schemes are funded by the OPW from the Government's €1.3 billion investment in flood measures under the national development plan to 2030. Construction of the €5.2 million Springfield flood relief scheme to protect 21 properties is nearing completion. The completion of this scheme is being informed by the groundwater report. The €8.5 million Kilkee flood relief scheme to protect 134 properties was submitted for planning during 2024 and detailed design for the construction of the scheme is being progressed.”
“He knows how long this has been going on and so do I. Let us see what happens in the next few weeks and then we can get working.”
“The Deputy has raised this in the committee and here in the House. As I said to him, a judicial review held up that whole scheme. We got consent and were ready to go, and then came the judicial review. Once it comes through the planning process, we will be on the ground. As I explained to the Deputy, I am working extremely hard to try to do this. He can play a part by going to talk to the people who bring these objections to see if we have done everything required so that, when it comes out, we are not faced with another objection and it is delayed again. It is unfair to say the OPW and my Department have not worked tirelessly to try to deliver this scheme. I know the pressure the Deputy is facing over the length of time it has taken. Once there is a judicial review, it holds up the entire planning process.”
“I have this right around the country where people, such as the Deputy, raise the question, but in defence of my Department, I have to say we have a very small window in which to do it. I will come back to the Deputy in writing to give it more flesh.”
“In defence of why it did not happen in 2025, and as I said in my report, it is due to weather. The type of material we use to do with the castle is all down to weather. If we do not get the weather, we cannot do it.”
“To be honest, I cannot say. However, I visited the castle a number of weeks ago and saw at first hand exactly the damage caused. I will take back with me that the Deputy got a response that it would be done in 2025 and revert to him in writing. I will pursue it because I fell in love with the castle when I went there. It is a fabulous facility.”