Three schemes press for flood protection
Three flood relief schemes covering south Galway, west Cork and west Clare were raised together in the Dail on 22 October 2026, with the Government setting out where each project stands and when construction might begin.
Deputies Louis O'Hara, Aindrias Moynihan and Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation for updates on the Gort lowlands scheme, tranche 2 schemes including Ballingeary and Inchigeelagh, and the Kilkee scheme.
Minister of State Kevin Boxer Moran answered for the Government, outlining planning dates, property numbers and interim funding, while the deputies warned that households face another winter at risk of flooding.
The exchange matters because the schemes discussed are planned to protect 323 properties in total — 115 around the Gort lowlands, 46 in Ballingeary, 28 in Inchigeelagh and 134 in Kilkee — and the timelines discussed stretch from a compulsory purchase application at the end of 2026 to a planning submission in the third quarter of 2027 and completion dates into 2030.
Houses of the Oireachtas (3)
- Dail Flood Relief Schemes debate 22 October 2026 - Gort lowlands
The Office of Public Works and Galway County Council are working together on the development of the Gort lowlands flood relief scheme in south Galway. Galway County Council is acting as the lead authority.