Flood protection delays leave homes at ‘increased risk’ from extreme weather

Delays in flood protection schemes are leaving homes and businesses at increasing risk from intensifying rains and storms, the Climate Change Advisory Council has said. The council said it was “extremely concerned” that few of the dozens of planned schemes were under construction despite being prioritised for investment almost a decade ago.The independent body that provides expert advice to Government noted that Enniscorthy, Co Wexford – which was severely flooded last January – was still waiting for construction of flood defences to start 11 years after preparations began.“The council is very concerned by protracted delays in the execution of flood relief schemes,” it said. READ MOREIt said 30 of the 54 big flood relief schemes identified as priorities in 2018 remained at preliminary design stage.[ The floods will overwhelm Irish land. We can’t just sit backOpens in new window ]“This is particularly significant given that completing flood relief schemes takes an average of 11 years,” it said.The council also said measures to protect coastal areas from erosion and sea level rise were “far too slow” given the risks facing exposed communities. A coastal change management strategy was published in 2023, but no actual management plans were available. Three “pathfinder” projects intended to identify the best techniques for managing coastal change at local level had not yet begun.The criticisms are among many in the council’s annual adaptation report, which assesses how prepared Ireland is to cope with extreme weather.“Ireland’s climate adaptation planning does not match the scale and urgency of increasing climate risks,” it said.Non-stop rain and Storm Chandra last winter, followed by unprecedented heatwaves and drought in the summer, exposed vulnerabilities in homes, businesses, transport networks, water supplies, food production and health systems, it said.Storm Chandra - The clean-up begins in Enniscorthy. Video: Dara Mac Donaill An extreme weather event assistance scheme promised in the programme for government was not established yet, leaving a “critical gap” in post-disaster recovery support.Zoning for building in flood-risk areas was also a concern, said the council, noting the 288 times councillors attempted such zoning in recent years. It said the recent Government direction to councils to zone extra land for housing must not lead to more flood-prone sites being zoned.The council also criticised lack of funding for preparedness, and said the Government should be obliged to calculate the cost of inaction “to determine what continued delay will ultimately cost households, businesses, communities and the State”. Peter Thorne, chairman of the council’s adaptation committee, said the State must become more resilient.“This year alone, we have moved from severe flooding and prolonged rainfall to exceptional heat and drought-like conditions. We are not prepared for either extreme,” he said.“We cannot keep treating extreme events as one-off emergencies, simply repairing the damage while people continue to live in fear of the next major event.”