Funding Approved for Flood Defence Works in Kildysart

A planned flood protection project in Kildysart, Co. Clare, has secured funding of over €16,000 from the Office of Public Works (OPW). Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran T.D., confirmed the approval under the OPW’s Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme.

The €16,034 allocation will support Clare County Council’s proposed works at Lacknashinagh, where an estuary embankment is to be reconstructed and reinforced using a gabion mattress—a wire mesh structure filled with rock to strengthen flood defences.

The Minor Works Scheme, established in 2009, provides co-funding of up to 90% for projects costing no more than €750,000, where a practical solution can be implemented within a short timeframe. All applications are assessed against economic, social, and environmental criteria, including cost-benefit analysis and flood risk considerations.

To date, Clare County Council has secured support for 43 projects under the scheme, reflecting the county’s ongoing engagement with flood resilience efforts. While routine drainage or maintenance works typically fall outside the scope of OPW funding, partial support may be granted where such projects contribute to flood risk reduction.

Responsibility for carrying out approved works lies with the relevant local authority, which must also ensure that any intervention does not increase flood risk elsewhere.

More information on approved schemes and funding is available at www.floodinfo.ie/minor-works.