*Pictured left to right at Áras an Chontae: Deputy John Connolly, Deputy Mairead Farrell, Minister of State Noel Grealish, Minister of State Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, Minister of State Sean Canney TD, Cllr. David Collins (Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway), Brendan McDonagh (Executive Engineer, Galway County Council), Enda Gallagher (Senior Executive Engineer, Galway County Council), and Liam Conneally (Chief Executive of Galway County Council). Credit Galway County Council.
BALLINASLOE’s flood relief scheme will advance to the planning phase during the first half of 2026, the Office of Public Works (OPW) have confirmed.
Successful completion detailed scheme design and environmental assessment work has allowed the progression of efforts to address long-standing flood risks in the town.
Confirmation that the scheme will enter the planning phase next year was made during a meeting between Galway County Council and Minister of State for the OPW Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran TD (IND), as well as Seán Canney TD (IND), Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, and Noel Grealish TD (IND), Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
During the meeting, progress updates were also provided on other local flood relief projects. Schemes in Clifden and Portumna are each advancing through different stages of development, while the Gort Lowlands scheme is nearing completion of its final environmental assessment and is due to be submitted to the OPW shortly.
Cllr. David Collins (FG), Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway, welcomed the news, “Flooding has had a devastating impact on Ballinasloe’s residents, businesses, and essential infrastructure. It’s encouraging to see meaningful progress being made. We look forward to working closely with the OPW and project teams as the scheme moves towards planning early next year”.
Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council, added, “This scheme represents a long-term solution to significantly reduce flood risk in Ballinasloe and support the sustainable development of the town. We are committed to supporting the OPW and ensuring this much-needed project is advanced without delay”.
Ballinasloe has faced significant flood events, most notably in November 2009 and during the 2015/2016 winter, primarily due to the River Suck, the Deerpark River, and surrounding tributaries.
To address this risk, the OPW conducted a Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Study under its national programme. The Shannon Catchment Flood Risk Management Plan, finalised in May 2018, identified Ballinasloe as a high-risk area and recommended the development of a dedicated flood relief scheme.
In collaboration with Galway County Council, the OPW appointed Arup, in partnership with Hydro-Environmental Ltd., to lead the scheme’s engineering design. Ryan Hanley Ltd. was tasked with carrying out the necessary environmental assessments to guide the planning and development process.
