Flood Relief Schemes Dail Éireann — 2026-04-16 ============================================================ Colm Burke (FG), Cork North-Central My question is in relation to the Blackpool flood relief scheme. It has been going on for 13 years, going into 14 years. The OPW sent the report in to the Minister of State's Department nine or ten months ago. I do not understand why we still do not have a decision on this matter. Why is it taking so long? On the previous occasion, the Department sat on the report. By the time it came to a decision, the environmental report was out of date, so it had to go back to drawing board. When will this project proceed? Kevin Boxer Moran (IND), Longford-Westmeath I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 28 together. I am not going to go and read it. The Deputy knows the story in relation to this. It is with the Department, but we are working together collectively. I am working with the Deputy as----- Colm Burke (FG), Cork North-Central It is here for 12 months. David Maxwell (CC), Cavan-Monaghan I ask the Deputy to allow the Minister of State to answer. Kevin Boxer Moran (IND), Longford-Westmeath The Deputy comes in here and gives out the whole time, but he rarely engages in a proper manner to try to constructively deliver this for the people of the community. He comes in and says, "This is delayed. That is delayed." We have to work together for the betterment of those people and protect them. The Deputy knows the objection that was placed on this. He knows exactly the people who placed the objection. He knows what I am doing with him and the people trying to deliver on this. It is unfair of him to come in and accuse us of not working and trying to deliver on that. It is very unfair. Colm Burke (FG), Cork North-Central The report is in for over 12 months. Why is there not a decision taken on it to proceed? Kevin Boxer Moran (IND), Longford-Westmeath When the report comes out, we will constructively come back to the Deputy and we will work together to deliver it. I cannot interfere with the process. I can bring it to where it is today. If I could interfere, I would do it, but I cannot. The Deputy will just have to wait. While it is annoying for him, as it is for me and the people, I have to wait for that to come in. Colm Burke (FG), Cork North-Central It is 12 months that we are waiting for the response from the report. The environmental impact study will again be out of date unless a decision is made on this matter. Kevin Boxer Moran (IND), Longford-Westmeath I fully concur. I know the frustration that the Deputy has. I know people are on to him. I assure him that I am doing everything I can to deliver on that. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-16/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:49+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-04-16