Yes. The work undertaken has confirmed that the proposed Scheme represents a robust, evidence-based solution for Cork, and is a vital step in a well-considered long-term climate strategy for the city.
A significant body of work has been undertaken to ensure that the Scheme has been considered in the context of the longer-term climate, as well as the immediate needs of the city. This was important, as it ensured that the solution delivered now is compatible with all foreseeable interventions that may be needed in future, and to ensure that the infrastructure delivered now, won’t become redundant in the future. This work has included consideration of the latest international scientific information from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as well as the most up to date regional and national information on the likely impacts in Europe and Ireland.
An explicit upfront allowance for 100mm of sea level rise is being incorporated into the proposed defence heights in the tidal reach of the city. In addition, foundations and other design features have been sized to allow even further adaptation or augmentation in the future if necessary. The proposed scheme will provide a very high level of protection for the foreseeable future.
The OPW and Cork City Council will continue to collect and record further river/rainfall gauge data. This will provide the next generation with essential data so informed decisions may be taken on any scheme adaptations that may become necessary in the future.
All of the above analysis has been completed as part of the preparation of a Scheme Climate Change Adaptation Plan, which when finalised, will be included in the Scheme documentation to be submitted as part of the statutory consent process for the Scheme.
A tidal surge barrier (TSB) or tidal barrier was one of many potential options considered. A tidal barrage was also considered. The details of these options are set out in the LLFRS Options Report and LLFRS Supplementary Report - Option of Tidal Barrier.
The tidal barrier option was considered in great depth with a comprehensive pre-feasibility assessment completed which is available here. This confirmed that a tidal barrier is not currently a viable or appropriate option.
Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misleading commentary on social media in relation to the tidal barrier option being some kind of panacea for flood risk in Cork. This is not the case.
Key points to note are as follows:
- Tidal barriers are extremely rare. There are only some 30 major barriers of scale in the world. They are very expensive and can have very significant negative environmental impacts. Accordingly, they are generally a solution of last resort, only considered, when smaller scale quayside solutions are not viable. Thankfully that is not the case in Cork.
- Tidal barriers are used to protect against large storm surge events rather than just normal astronomical high tides. The majority of existing barriers have been designed to defend against large surge events in the order of 3 to 4m or more, whereas the design surge in Cork is only around 1m. Therefore a barrier would have a very limited period of applicability as increases in mean sea level rise would result in the barrier having to close too frequently during normal astronomical tides even in the absence of a significant surge.
- The detailed consideration of a tidal barrier for Cork confirmed that the optimum location for a future barrier (if required) would be at either side of Great Island. An appropriately designed barrier at this location is estimated to have a capital cost about ten times that of the LLFRS and would need to be similar in scale to the Thames Barrier in London.
- Similar to nearly all locations with existing TSBs, to ensure that the frequency of closure of such a barrier would be acceptably low for economic and environmental reasons, the analysis confirmed that such a solution would only be viable in the future if delivered in conjunction with the quayside defences proposed now as part of the LLFRS, i.e. it would only be viable in conjunction with and not instead of the LLFRS.
- A tidal barrier would not have reduced the impact of the 2009 fluvial flood event and would not prevent a repeat of same.
In summary, based on the best available science, it is highly uncertain if a tidal barrier is neither required nor viable at this time for managing the flood risk for Cork. The consideration of worst-case sea-level rise projections suggests that the earliest a barrier might become necessary or viable is next century.
Conversely, it is certain that quayside defences are both necessary and viable now, and in all possible future scenarios, both to address river flooding and to function as part of an integrated and sustainable tidal defence solution.
Yes, all possible options have been considered. Refer to the LLFRS Options Report for details of all options considered.
Quay walls in Cork already play an important flood defence role. Quay walls act as flood defences in many other historic cities. Without investment, many of Cork’s quay walls are at risk of collapse. As part of the LLFRS, vital remedial works are proposed to stabilise, strengthen and respectfully repair these quay walls so that they can continue to provide flood protection in the future. Many of the existing quay walls only require repointing to perform a flood defence role.
High quality materials and detailing will be used to retain the character of particular areas. Interpretative elements will be sensitively created and integrated into various settings around the riverside. All of this will maximise the value of these historic assets and will help people - locals and visitors alike - to have a greater appreciation of the area, its history, culture and character. For example the character of open quaysides on North Mall and Sullivan's Quay is being retained through the clever use of solutions such as demountable barriers and local regrading.
A significant benefit of the scheme is that approximately 400 protected structures and 20 structures on the Record of Monuments and Places which currently lie within the flood risk area will be protected from flooding to the 1% annual exceedance probability (AEP) standard.
As can be seen from the details and images of the scheme provided in the documents on this website, flood defences represent only one of many components in what is very much a multifaceted scheme, developed specifically to meet the particular needs of Cork.
A key driver of the design of the scheme has been to ensure that elements of the defences are appropriate to each location and can be integrated seamlessly into the landscape, enhance it, and put the river back at the heart of the city. Defences take many forms, including; low level parapets, embankments, seating areas, demountable barriers, glazed elements etc.
Many defence elements in the city centre are no greater than average knee height, with the highest city centre defences being just above average waist height, in locations where they also have to provide fall protection for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists using the riverside walkways and cycleways.
In many other cases, the defences are set back from the river to allow pedestrians and cyclists to have more unrestricted access near to the river.
The scheme will see previously blocked access points to the river being opened, and new ones being created, to allow better and easier use of the river.
These details have been developed through extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders. OPW, Cork City Council and the scheme designers have engaged with river users and tourism interests to see that the river is proactively used as a positive resource for Cork.
In total, there are approximately 16000m of linear defences comprising of 4995m of landscaped embankment, 475m of demountable barriers, 2060m of approximately average knee height quayside defences and 5850m of approximately average waist height defences.
Like all major infrastructure projects, the Scheme has evolved by taking into account the views of the local community and relevant stakeholders where appropriate.
The OPW has consulted extensively with the people of Cork in relation to flood risk, initially as part of the Lee CFRAM Study from 2006 to 2012, then in 2013 and 2014 as part of the initial development of the proposed Scheme, and again in 2016/2017 during the statutory exhibition of the Scheme.
There has been an unprecedented level of response from the public and other stakeholders during and following the Statutory Exhibition of the Scheme. Queries raised ranged from consideration of alternatives, to technical queries about the Scheme, environmental impacts of the Scheme, the look and feel of the Scheme, delivery and governance of the Scheme, as well as observations and suggestions with respect to specific local site issues.
The OPW and its consultants have carefully worked through all of these observations to help inform the evolution of the Scheme to what it is today.
Key examples of how these consultations have informed the current Scheme design include significant updates to the Lee Fields, Fitzgerald’s Park, Sullivan’s Quay and North Mall, as illustrated here.
Preliminary Details of the changes made arising from the Exhibition process can be reviewed by reference to the Exhibition Report and Appendices which are available here.
The underlying concept for the LLFRS was first established by an international team of experts led by Halcrow (now Jacobs) as part of the Lee CFRAMS (Catchment Flood Risk & Management Study). The findings and recommendations from the study were reviewed by OPW’s own flood risk experts. Subsequent to the completion of the Lee CFRAMS, the current multidisciplinary team led by international flood risk management experts, Arup were asked to independently review the options again. Following this review, Arup confirmed that the concept developed by Halcrow, with some important amendments was the optimum solution for Cork. The subsequent evolution of the Scheme has considered international best practice and has drawn on expertise from across the global offices of both Arup and its subconsultant, JBA, another international flood risk management expert consultant.
The multidisciplinary team involved in the development includes civil, structural and environmental engineers, hydrologists, hydraulic experts and modellers, ecologists, archaeologists, architectural historians, public realm and conservation architects, geologists, hydrogeologists, traffic experts, building conservation specialists, and planners.
Under the Public Spending Code, an External Assurance Process (EAP) is required for major projects over €200m. The process will involve Independent Expert Reviews focussed on issues such as cost, risk and ability to deliver at the appropriate decision gate in the project lifecycle. The Review team and the funding Department/Approving Authority will be required to present to the Major Project Advisory Group in advance of the Memorandum to Government seeking approval to proceed with the project.
Enhanced biodiversity is a cornerstone of the proposed Scheme. Refer to the biodiversity section of the Project Website for further details.
Cork City already has an extensive network of gullies, pipes and pumping stations that drain surface water during intense rainfall events. These are largely maintained by Cork City Council, either directly or under a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Uisce Éireann.
During extreme river flood events, when river levels are elevated, the normal discharge of surface water by gravity would be prevented. Without intervention, this could lead to localised surface water flooding behind the river defences.
Similar to other flood relief schemes, to address this issue, the LLFRS proposes the introduction of a back of wall drainage system incorporating a number of local underground pumping stations. These will ensure the city streets remain free of surface water even during a flood in the river or high tide. These pumping stations will pump any excess surface water into the river, thus ensuring that significant nuisance surface water ponding and flooding is avoided during major river floods.
Similar pumping stations are common-place in many cities around the world. Cork City already has over 42 pumping stations in operation, none of which are visible in the City centre. Examples include the pumping station sited below ground at Grand Parade.
Similar pumping stations are proposed as part of the Scheme and will be automated with manual override, backup power supplies as appropriate, standby pumps and other redundancies. They will be regularly maintained, so that they are ready when called upon.
The LLFRS pumping stations will only operate at times of extreme flooding. Most of the time, the existing drainage system will operate by gravity, as it does at present.
These pumping stations will not alter the groundwater regime in Cork.
As far as possible, pumping stations are being sited to minimise disruption.
As these pumping stations are an essential part of an integrated Flood Relief Scheme for Cork, they will be maintained by Cork City Council as agents of OPW. Funding for maintenance of this and other aspects of the scheme will be ringfenced for the lifetime of the Scheme.
The demountable defences will be managed, maintained and erected by Cork City Council as Agents of the OPW. The Operational Protocol for the Scheme will include a comprehensive and robust process for this aspect of the Scheme including regular training and trial erections outside of flood events.
By optimising the operation of the dams during flood events, the design flow reaching both the north and south channels of the River Lee in Cork City is reduced by approximately 40% from what it is at present. Accordingly, in these extreme events, velocities and flood hazard and risk will be significantly reduced.
As part of the Scheme, it is proposed to incorporate a comprehensive flood warning system to provide early and accurate warning to both river users and owners of land on the flood plain in advance of significant increases in water releases from the upstream dams.
No. The focus of the LLFRS is to protect the large areas of Cork City already at high risk of flooding. River related flood risk in the docklands is relatively low at present but may increase in the future. As these areas are ringfenced for significant redevelopment, Cork City Council is putting in place appropriate development controls to ensure flood risk is appropriately addressed as part of this redevelopment process. This will include future investment in public drainage and polder defence infrastructure in docklands, which is planned to be delivered as part of a separate project.
The LLFRS is the largest flood relief scheme in the State and is a huge undertaking. Both the problem and the solution are complex and multifaceted. It has been important to undertake a very comprehensive body of work to ensure that the design basis for the Scheme and the associated environmental assessments are robust and will meet the needs of Cork both now and well into the future. The processes involved in delivering any such scheme is lengthy, and this was certainly the case in Cork, particularly acknowledging the significant public interest and feedback. Like all OPW schemes, this feedback was carefully considered and taken on board where appropriate. In addition, significant environmental legislative changes in recent years have increased the amount of analysis and assessment now needing to be undertaken ahead of submitting for statutory consent. We are now reaching the conclusion of the final revisions to the Scheme, and propose to now provide the people of Cork with a further opportunity to inspect and comment on the latest evolution of the Scheme following which it will be submitted for statutory consent.
The Scheme cost was estimated at circa €140m in 2016. However, due to the significant inflation in construction over the last number of years, as well as the addition of many public realm, placemaking and biodiversity enhancements made to the Scheme as a result of public feedback, an estimated construction cost in excess of €200m is now envisaged. A more accurate estimate will be prepared ahead of the project being submitted for statutory consent. The estimated economic benefit of the Scheme is now estimated to be in excess of €300m and therefore, it is apparent that the Scheme has a benefit to cost ratio of circa 1.5. It remains the optimum and only viable solution for Cork, and represents best value for money.
The National Development Plan commits €1.3 billion in funding for flood relief schemes, and will provide funding for this scheme
Yes, a comprehensive Nature Based Solution (NBS) assessment was carried out as part of the optioneering process for the Scheme and is available here.
Unfortunately, the present-day flows are far too high to achieve the required 1 in 100 year standard of flood protection by implementing NBS alone. However, the Scheme does incorporate significant amendments to the operation of the existing hydroelectric reservoirs and dams which allow for a far more effective way of reducing the flood risk in Cork.
Given the scale of intervention required across the catchment, the costs, the landowner engagement required and the logistics of construction and maintenance, a NBS is not currently considered to be technically or economically viable as an option or even in combination with other measures in terms of reducing flood risk in Cork.
However, a NBS is nonetheless considered as a possible future measure to mitigate the future impacts of climate change. This would need to be considered at an appropriate future time in the context of the climate at that time and the legislative environment in terms of being able to deliver such solutions.
Dredging is always very challenging environmentally. It would be very unlikely that we could achieve the environmental consents required. Dredging in tidal waters is not effective in reducing peak flood levels because the dredged area becomes inundated with tidal waters and is not available to take flood flows. Furthermore, extensive dredging is also considered undesirable for the Scheme due to the environmental impact and the cost of ongoing maintenance.
The decision on whether to offer insurance, the level of premiums charged and the policy terms applied are matters for individual insurers. Insurance companies make commercial decisions on the provision of insurance cover based on their assessment of the risks they would be accepting on a case-by-case basis. The Government cannot interfere in the provision or pricing of insurance products, as reinforced by the EU framework for insurance (Solvency II Directive).
The Department of Finance has overall responsibility for policy matters in relation to insurance, including flood insurance. The Office of Public Works (OPW) has a role to assist insurance companies to take into account the protection provided by completed flood defence schemes. In this regard, the OPW has a Memorandum of Understanding with Insurance Ireland, the representative body of the insurance industry. This Memorandum sets out principles of how the two organisations work together to ensure that appropriate and relevant information on these completed schemes is provided to insurers to facilitate, to the greatest extent possible, the availability to the public of insurance against the risk of flooding. While the Memorandum does not guarantee the availability of insurance, Insurance Ireland members have committed to take into account all information provided by the OPW when assessing exposure to flood risk within these protected areas.
Insurance Ireland operates an Insurance Information Service for those who have queries, complaints or difficulties in relation to obtaining insurance, which can be contacted at 01 676 1914 or feedback@insuranceireland.eu. Similarly, Brokers Ireland, the representative body for insurance brokers in Ireland, has access to a wide range of providers and products, and can offer advice for customers when sourcing cover. Brokers Ireland can be reached at 01 661 3067. Furthermore, where an individual considers that they have been treated unfairly, they have the option of making a complaint to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO). The FSPO can be contacted either by email at info@fspo.ie or by telephone at 01 567 7000.
The current best estimate is that construction will commence in 2027, but this is subject to change. The current estimated Project Programme (at the time of writing, Autumn 2023) is as follows:
• Stage I – Scheme Development: Completed
• Stage II – Public Exhibition
• Stage III – Detailed Design, Confirmation & Tender Process: Commence by 2025
• Stage IV and V – Construction and Handover of the works: Commence in 2027
The construction start date is dependent on a number of elements:
• Statutory Consent
• Option(s) chosen
• Scale of Feedback Received
• Site Investigation
• Complexity of Design
• Objections and Judicial Reviews
The current estimate for the construction period is approx. four to five years, but this is dependent on the option chosen (i.e. how complex the construction may be).
Note that the programme is kept under review and will be updated with regards to any project risks at the earliest conveince.
