Minister Moran Announces €6.6m to Mitigate Future Impact of Flood Events from Storm Chandra

Mr. Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, today (30th April, 2026) announced the approval of €6.6m to eight local authorities, to introduce interim flood protection measures, in response to flooding from Storm Chandra, earlier this year.

Having visited the communities that were impacted by Strom Chandra with An Taoiseach and An Tánaiste, the Minister said, “I saw first-hand the devastation that this event caused to people, businesses and communities”. For most, this flooding was not for the first time and for some, including Enniscorthy, Arklow and Aughrim it was ahead of flood relief schemes being delivered to these communities.

Meeting with the Chief Executives and Directors of Services from the eight local authorities, and elected representatives, the Minister thanked the local authorities for their response to those flooding events during Storm Chandra. He acknowledged their commitment to identify and bring forward promptly flood protection measures that can help mitigate the impact to communities from a similar flood event, ahead of next winter.

The once-off funding being allocated today is an informed response to Storm Chandra. The Minister highlighted that these measures being progressed in response to storm Chandra will serve to demonstrate how the local authorities can be proactive in introducing such interim measures in their administrative area, including through funding from the OPW’s Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. The Minister stated that he will shortly be announcing the details of increasing the threshold for this scheme from €750,000 to €2m, allowing all local authorities to better plan and implement localised solutions to flood risk in their administrative areas.

For further information, please contact pressoffice@opw.ie

Notes:

Funding Approval to Local Authorities for Interim Measures in Response to Storm Chandra