Municipal District: 17 July 2020

Question: Can the council confirm if flood event report forms have been submitted by Kildare County Council to the Office of Public Works with regard to flooding in Kilwogan and Ballygoran, Celbridge based on reports from residents to the council between 2001 and 2017 and correspondence from the council on this issue?

Report: The council is not aware of any cases of flooding being reported to the Office of Public Works (OPW).

In terms of reporting to the OPW, the council is governed by SI 122 of 2010 which states:
The Commissioners may require a body listed in Part 3 of the First Schedule to supply reports and information relating to flooding and assessment and management of flood risks to the Commissioners subject to the Commissioners guaranteeing to protect, subject to law, contractual obligations and restrictions, the confidentiality of anycommercially sensitive information provided.

Therefore, the council is not obliged to report flooding to the OPW. That said we have and continue to provide information, if relevant, to the OPW in relation to flooding and reviews of mapping (e.g. review of Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment Mapping carried out in 2019). Members of the public may also contact the OPW directly to report flooding.

Issued by: Ms E O’Brien, Senior Executive Engineer & Mr M Holligan, Senior Engineer, Environment Department.

Discussion and outcome: Councillor Liston asked if people reported flooding to the council, did the council not relay this information to the OPW so that the OPW could populate their maps with this information. Mr Fagan stated that he would relay Councillor Liston’s question to the Senior Executive Engineer for clarification.
The report was noted.