Donegal County Council are set to appoint consultants to work on flood defence designs for six Donegal areas before the end of 2019, it has emerged.
These projects include Lifford, Castlefinn, Burnfoot, Downings, Glenties and Kerrykeel. In addition to the six, there is an ongoing flood relief project at the design stage for Raphoe.
The most expensive flood defence scheme is Donegal, which has been allocated €8.5m, with Killybegs sanctioned the second-highest with €8.4m.
In May 2018, Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Kevin Moran T.D. launched 29 flood risk management plans for all main river basins – identifying an initial total of 118 flood relief projects to protect the main flood risk areas throughout the country.
This number increased to 119 with the addition of the Burnfoot project following a cost review after the 2017 floods in Inishowen.
In a statement released to Donegal Daily, Donegal County Council said they would ‘appoint consultants over the coming months for each of the projects to be advanced in the first phase.’
It read: “The OPW and the Council will be working closely over the coming years to progress these projects.
“Donegal County Council working in partnership with the OPW are currently preparing a design brief to be delivered by a consultant on the OPW existing consultancy framework.
“Tender documents are currently being put together to appoint consultants over the coming months for each of the projects to be advanced in the first phase.”
Once the consultants are appointed, the process will progress through five stages starting with development and design; and continuing through to planning; detailed construction design and tender; construction and handover of works.
In addition, the project at Burnfoot consists of a series of flood embankments and urban walls, which will provide flood protection to approximately 36 properties when completed.
The defences have an average height of 1.23m and a total length of approximately 0.67km.
