Largest Ever Flood Risk Study of Ireland Completed

Ten year flood relief programme launched following CFRAM process.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has launched a ten year programme of €1 billion in investment of flood relief. Minister of State Kevin "Boxer" Moran T.D., in the presence of An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar T.D., announced a first tranche of 50 new flood relief schemes (with €257 million funding) from the overall list of 118 schemes developed under the CFRAM (Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management) process.

Working with the OPW, RPS undertook complex CFRAM Studies in the Eastern, South Eastern and the North Western – Neagh Bann Catchments over the period 2011 - 2018. The RPS studies have been acknowledged as a very significant contribution to Ireland’s largest ever study of Flood Risk. In total RPS assessed flood risk and identified a programme of implementation for 140 towns out of the 300 considered nationally and supported 13 out of the 29 published Flood Plans.

On 3rd May 2018 the Office of Public Works (OPW) published the finalised results of this study and launched a new website www.floodinfo.ie. This website provides access to the plans, programmes for implementation, historical flooding data and the 40,000 flood maps produced through CFRAMS.

Since 2000 RPS has been responsible for the successful delivery of major flood relief schemes in towns such as Waterford City and Carlow Town. RPS teams are currently actively collaborating on a number of significant flood relief schemes throughout Ireland including Athlone Co. Westmeath, Skibbereen Co. Cork and Morell Co. Kildare. In 2018 RPS has also successfully prequalified for OPW and Local Authority Frameworks for the provision of Flood Risk Management Engineering Consultancy Services. It is expected that procurement of the design and construction support for the implementation of the OPW’s flood relief scheme will commence shortly and RPS is well placed to support Flood Plan implementation over the coming decade.