Flooded Laois towns will hope incoming Minister will finally deliver on €3 m promise

Laois people in Mountmellick, Portarlington will be hoping the flood defences promised by an incoming minister will finally be delivered seven years after he promised the money to build them.

Kevin Boxer Moran saw for himself the devastation caused in Mountmellick in November 2017 after a flash flood hit the town and also caused damage in Clonaslee and Portarlington.

The independent TD was the Minister of State for Public Works with the responsibility for flood relief at the time when he and other non-party TDs supported a Fine Gael minority Government which had support from Fianna Fáil.

Dep Moran promised a response when he visited the town with other politicians including former TD Charlie Flanagan. In the months after he made a specific financial commitment. 

In February 2018, he said a project office was being set up specifically for this work to be carried out between the Office of Public Works and the local authority.

“The Flood Risk Management Plan for Mountmellick includes a proposed outline flood relief scheme costing €3.1m to protect 46 properties identified to be at risk.

“The money is there and my department will work closely with the local authority in relation to designing and developing that scheme for the people that have been so badly affected.

"Portarlington does fit into that based on the CFRAM,” then-junior minister said.

Laois County Council subsequently and project partners the Office of Public Works (OPW), subsequently appointed a team to develop a flood relief scheme. The designs were finally completed in 2024 but will have to be cleared by An Bord Pleanála before work can begin. A further decision will have to be delivered on money that has yet to be allocated to carry out the work to deliver the Mountmellick Flood Relief Scheme. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Kevin Boxer Moran, Charlie Flanagan and Padraig Fleming in Mountmellick in 2017 after the November flood. Pic: Kevin Byrne

The Portarlington Flood Relief Scheme is further behind.  After €1 b was committed in the 2018 National Development Plan for flood relief, a steering group was established between the OPW and Laois County Council to progress a Portlarlinton flood relief scheme. In Summer 2020, a Joint Venture (JV) between Binnies (B) and Nicholas O’Dywer (NOD) were appointed as consultants, to develop a scheme.

The latest on advancing work in the Laois Offaly town is that a company working for Laois County Council will be conducting site investigation works to obtain details about the soil strata commencing in January 2025.

Mountmellick flood victim, Maurice Lynch, told the Leinster Express in 2018 that he wanted to see action on the plan after Dep Moran committed the €3 million.

“The budget allocation is great once it is not spent on stupid things like a whole lot of research and not a lot of work. I want to see the plan with the milestones and the execution of the plan,” he said.

Mr Moran lost his seat in 2020 but was returned to the Dáil after the 2024 General Election by Longford Westmeath voters. It is expected that he will be appointed Minister of State for the OPW when the new Government is formed under a deal between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and eight independent TDs. 

The TD rose to national promises for his efforts in fighting flooding in Athlone before the 2016 General Election.