Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), Kevin "Boxer" Moran T.D., has marked a key step forward for the Ballyhale Flood Relief Scheme after attending a contract signing at County Hall, Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council has confirmed the project is moving into the construction phase following the selection of a preferred solution.

Minister Moran said: "I am pleased that, following the completion of detailed design and procurement for a contractor, construction can now commence and will be carried out by Glas Civil Engineering Ltd". He added that the Government's priority is to safeguard the area: "The Government is committed to safeguarding the community of Ballyhale by providing funding to construct a flood relief scheme that will withstand a 100-year flood event and upon completion will protect 20 residential and 8 commercial properties. The aim is to deliver and provide robust flood protection and peace of mind for local residents and business owners."

The scheme will comprise new embankments and improvements to conveyance, including a flow diversion from the Ballyhale watercourse to the Little Arrigle River. Public consultations and information days held after the preferred option emerged helped refine the design.

Ballyhale was highlighted as one of around 300 areas at significant flood risk under the OPW's Catchment-based Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme, finalised in 2018. Approval to advance a local scheme was granted in November 2018, and DBFL Engineering & Environmental Consultants were appointed on 23 March 2020 to progress the design. During Stage 1, DBFL brought the CFRAM-recommended measures to outline design, assessing costs and benefits. An Options Assessment and Multi-Criteria Assessment considered a range of potential solutions; four preliminary options were presented to Kilkenny County Council and the OPW, with the preferred option taken forward to planning. Detailed design began in 2025 and was issued to tender in April 2026.

Welcoming the contract signing, Mr Lar Power, Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council, said, "This marks a significant investment in the safety and wellbeing of the community. For many years, residents and businesses have faced the challenges and uncertainty caused by flooding. Today's contract signing demonstrates our commitment to protecting homes, supporting local enterprise, and strengthening the village's resilience for future generations."

Funding for flood relief schemes is provided through the National Development Plan. All OPW schemes are designed to be adaptable to the growing flood risks associated with climate change. Separately, the OPW has also approved approximately €1.5 million for Kilkenny County Council under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme to support 18 additional local projects.

Flood relief schemes typically proceed through five stages and are complex, multiannual undertakings. Delivery timelines can be affected by factors such as ground conditions, consultation and planning timeframes, and capacity within the consultancy market, meaning projects can take up to a decade from design to completion.

CFRAM remains the most comprehensive study of flood risk undertaken in Ireland, assessing risks to roughly two-thirds of the population from fluvial and coastal flooding and guiding the OPW's programme of works. To date, 57 completed schemes are providing protection to about 13,640 properties and are estimated to have avoided roughly €2 billion in damages nationwide. Since 2018, the number of schemes at design, planning and construction has tripled to around 100, enabling work completed or underway to protect approximately 80% of properties identified as at risk. Further information is available at www.floodinfo.ie.