Ireland’s Office of Public Works (Office of Public Works) has announced a €3 million funding allocation to support local authorities in removing river conveyance blockages and improving local flood and coastal protection systems.
The funding will target immediate works such as clearing obstructions at river crossings, bridges, and culverts that restrict water flow and increase flood risk to nearby properties. Officials said the measure is intended to reduce the impact of flooding in vulnerable communities across the country.
The announcement was made by Minister of State Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, who said the initiative builds on lessons learned from recent storm events and aims to strengthen local resilience while longer-term flood relief schemes are developed.
Alongside the funding package, the government has also introduced revisions to the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. These changes include increasing the funding threshold for eligible projects from €750,000 to €2 million and raising the state contribution rate to 95% for approved funding above €300,000. Economic eligibility criteria have also been relaxed to make it easier for local authorities to access support.
Since its introduction in 2009, the Minor Works Scheme has supported around 930 projects nationwide, delivering flood mitigation and coastal protection for approximately 8,000 properties.
The updated framework is designed to broaden the scope of eligible projects, allowing local authorities to implement both interim and long-term solutions to flood and coastal erosion risks. Officials said this includes communities awaiting major flood relief schemes that are still under development.
The Office of Public Works said it will issue further guidance to local authorities in the coming days to help accelerate the rollout of projects under the revised scheme.
