Galway’s new flood defences will take a decade to complete

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – Galway City’s proposed €9.5 million flood defence project could take ‘the guts of a decade’ to complete – leaving 940 properties vulnerable to flooding, the Seanad has been told.

Galway senator, Seán Kyne, said it was clear that the Galway City Flood Relief Scheme, Coirib go Cósta, would ‘take the guts of a decade to complete’, through five different stages.

“This is hard to believe and fathom given the importance of this scheme to the city. The city can be on tenterhooks when there is a yellow storm warning and a high tide – this is very worrying for businesses and residents,” Senator Kyne stated.

He outlined in the Seanad debate that given the five stages to be gone through – Options Assessment, Planning and Consent, Design/Tender, Construction and Completion/Handover – it would be near the end of 2029 before the works would be completed.

“With the way things are, one could add another year or two to that, depending on processes. Realistically, can anything be done to speed up this project. Is there anything the City Council or the consultants can do to speed it up? Taking, effectively, the guts of a decade before flood defences will be in place in Galway City is too long.

“The city of Galway is at the mercy of water and the unpredictability of storms. The impact that has on residents and businesses is so distressing and frustrating,” he told the Seanad.

The Moycullen senator, who directed his questions on the city flood relief scheme to OPW Minister of State, Patrick O’Donovan, had his reply delivered by Education Minister, Norma Foley, who was deputising for the Junior Minister.

Minister Foley said that Coirib go Cósta was currently at Stage 1 – Options Assessment and Scheme Development – which was due for completion by mid-2023.
This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.