Press release
Minister Patrick O’Donovan and Kevin Kelly, Chief Executive, Mayo County Council welcome completion of €1.5 Million Westport FRS
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Patrick O’Donovan, T.D. and Kevin Kelly, Mayo County Council are delighted to announce the completion of the €1.5 million Westport (Cois Abhainn and Ashwood) Flood Relief Scheme.
The scheme will protect 36 homes in the Cois Abhainn and Ashwood residential estates, which are located on the Ballinrobe Road in Westport.
The flood relief works were completed by a partnership of the Office of Public Works and Mayo County Council, working together.
Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), Patrick O’Donovan, T.D. welcomed the completion of the new scheme saying:
“I am delighted to be here today in Westport to officially mark the completion of the Cois Abhainn and Ashwood Flood Relief Scheme, which now forms part of a group of 55 completed flood relief schemes that are protecting over 13,500 properties nationwide. In addition to this investment in the Cois Abhainn and Ashwood Flood Relief Scheme, the OPW has already invested approximately €2 million across the county through the Minor Works and Coastal Protection Scheme, and has committed funding of €45 million for the Crossmolina and Ballina Flood Relief Schemes”.
Kevin Kelly, Chief Executive of Mayo County Council welcomed the completion of the scheme saying:
“This project is a good example of how flooding that impacts small community areas can be successfully addressed in a timely and effective manner”.
“This scheme will provide flood protection up to a one in one-hundred-year event for the 36 properties in these estates and will give security to the residents there, in particular those residents who were unfortunately flooded previously in 2015.”
The scheme was designed by Langan Consulting Engineers Ltd with construction work carried out by Cunningham Civil and Marine Ltd., who were appointed by Mayo County Council in September 2022. The scheme was completed in August 2023.
The works carried out, comprise a new flood embankment and flood wall, two new pumping stations and enhanced public realm along the flood defence alignment.
The Cois Abhainn and Ashwood Flood Relief Scheme is part of the Government’s strategy under Project Ireland 2040 to make Ireland a better country for all and to build a more resilient and sustainable future. The scheme has been funded through the Government’s 2030 National Development Plan with €1.3 billion for flood relief measures, including from the impacts of climate change through future-proofed, adaptable flood relief schemes.
For all media queries, please contact:
- Barry Nangle, OPW Press Officer, pressoffice@opw.ie
- Martina Hughes, Head of Corporate Development & Communications, Mayo County Council, 0876468551 mhughes@mayococo.ie
• Major Flood Relief Schemes:
o Ballina FRS: currently has an approved Total Project Budget of €30m, with a total expenditure to date of €1.2m
o Crossmolina FRS: currently has an approved Total Project Budget of €14.6m, with a total expenditure to date of €1.9m
o Total Project Budget for major FRSs is currently approx. €45m, with a total expenditure to date of €3.1m
• Small Flood Relief Schemes:
o Cois Abhainn FRS: Circa €1.5m expenditure to date.
• Minor Works:
o The OPW has approved 39 individual applications by Mayo County Council under the OPW’s Minor Works Scheme. In total, the OPW has approved €2,276,056 under this scheme to address localised flooding issues across Mayo.
o Total drawdown to date from Minor Works funding is €2,055,866.