Flood scheme hold-up is set for overhaul

OPW Minister, Sean Canney, has announced a series of measures that will make it easier for smaller flood relief schemes to go ahead over the coming months and years.

Minister Canney told the Farming Tribune that up until now, many schemes had been turned down because they failed the Cost Benefit Analysis test.

But he has now introduced a series of modifications to the Cost Benefit Analysis process, that he says, will bring a lot more flexibility to the whole procedure.

“One of the main problems that kept cropping up was in relation to farmyards and farmland not qualifying for relief schemes because they failed the Cost Benefit Analysis,” said Minister Canney.

He said that a farmyard would now qualify in the same way for consideration for flood relief measures as a commercial premises, while the criteria for flooded farmland had also been eased in Cost Benefit Analysis process.

“Greater allowances and flexibility will also be in place from next week on, in the Cost Benefit Analysis process as regards flood relief measures for houses and in relation to flooded roads,” said Minister Canney.

Although the changes in the Cost Benefit Analysis process are for so-called ‘smaller schemes’ this overall ceiling figure in this category has now also been increased from €500,000 to €750,000.

“I am confident that the introduction of these changes will mean that many more schemes will be in a position to go ahead over the coming years,” said Minister Canney.