The Office of Public Works and Galway County Council are working together on the development of the Gort Lowlands Flood Relief Scheme (FRS) with Galway County Council acting as the Contracting Authority for the project and funding provided by the OPW.
Ryan Hanley was appointed as Engineering Consultants for the scheme in December 2017, to develop and progress flood alleviation measures/proposals for the areas that are affected by flooding. Mott MacDonald was appointed as Environmental Consultants in March 2018 and are assisting in progressing the Gort Lowlands FRS from an environmental perspective.
The combinations of river water, groundwater, swallow holes and turloughs in the karst limestone of the Gort Lowlands catchment makes this area unique on an international level from an ecology perspective. Due to the intricate nature of the Gort Lowlands area, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and Geological Surveys Ireland (GSI) have also been contributing to the development of the Scheme.
The Scheme is currently in Stage I where scheme development and options appraisal takes place. Significant public and stakeholder consultation is a key part of this scheme. A number of public consultations took place in 2021 where Galway County Council and OPW presented the Emerging Preferred Scheme. One of the options being assessed is with respect to the culverts installed as part of the M18 motorway and their impact on flood risk in the area.
As the Deputy is aware I visited the area last week and I was fully briefed on this issue and I have been informed in this regard, that positive engagement and discussions are ongoing between Galway County Council and TII with respect to the impact of the culverts on the scheme.
