The Office of Public Works (OPW) has reviewed its Minor Flood Mitigation Works scheme, which provides funding to local authorities to carry out localised flood relief works. Farmyards and farm buildings are now eligible for grant aid and the upper financial threshold has been increased to €750,000. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for projects approved by the OPW.

“The upper financial threshold has been increased significantly from €500,000 to €750,000 per project and for the first time, farmyards/buildings will be included as commercial premises in all categories,” said Seán Canney, Minister with Responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Flood Relief. “Other improvements include lowering the benefit to costs ratio for smaller projects, improved benefit allowances for different property types and updated methodology for diverted journeys due to flooding.”

The scheme has been in place since 2009 and the review involved consultation with local authorities, the IFA and other stakeholders.

“Since the scheme was introduced over €38m in funding has been approved in respect of over 600 applications from local authorities for projects to protect an estimated 6,000 homes from flooding,” Canney added.

Applications are assessed by the OPW having regard to the specific economic, social and environmental criteria of the scheme, including a cost benefit ratio and having regard to the availability of funding for flood risk management.

After the proposed changes to the scheme are made; agricultural land that has been continuously flooded for over a month will be eligible for a payment of €400/ha. A value of €30,000 flat rate has been put on all commercial premises that are flooded and this now includes farm buildings. Farm houses are covered under residential houses.

The revised criteria will be available on www.opw.ie this week.

IFA flood project chair Padraic Joyce has welcomed changes made by the outgoing minister for the OPW.

“Farmers and farmland had been discriminated against in the cost-benefit analysis as the calculation of benefits to determine whether funding was made available for flood defence works, or measures to alleviate flooding, did not account for the agricultural losses resulting from flooding,” Joyce said. “It is important that the cost-benefit analysis recognises agricultural losses as projects were being turned down on the basis that they did not meet the old criteria.”

Sean Caney has been Minister of State for the last year and he is being succeeded by Kevin ‘‘Boxer’’ Moran.

Farm buildings now included in the OPW’s flood relief grant

The Minor Flood Mitigation Works scheme run by the OPW has been reviewed to include farm infrastructure for the first time.