The Minister for Transport has told Clare Fianna Fáil Deputy Cathal Crowe that officials from his Department will engage with the Office of Public Works on reconvening a steering group established to seek a solution to recurring flooding issues on the Ennis to Limerick rail line at Ballycar, Newmarket on Fergus.
Deputy Crowe had asked the Minister if he had identified a funding source to deal with the works required in Ballycar to alleviate flooding and ensure that the rail service in this area can continue on a year-round basis without interruption due to floods.
Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has told Deputy Crowe, in response to a parliamentary question: “The Deputy may be aware my predecessor, Eamon Ryan, previously met with the then Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Patrick O’Donovan, to discuss the complex issues in relation to flooding in the Ballycar area.
At that meeting the OPW Chair advised he would reconvene the steering group behind a December 2020 Report on Ballycar to continue discussions.”
The steering group includes Iarnród Éireann, the OPW, Clare County Council and the Geological Survey Ireland.
The Minister said: “Officials from my Department will engage with the OPW on reconvening the group with a view to progressing the matter.
The Department of Transport’s annual capital allocations from 2026 to 2030 were confirmed in the Review of the National Development Plan (NDP), published by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in July.
The Department of Transport is currently finalising its NDP Sectoral Investment Plan in the context of that capital funding envelope and a decision on a programme of delivery, including investments in the rail sector, with this level of capital investment will be made shortly. A related Sectoral Plan will be published over the coming month.”
