EXPENDITURE on the Ennis South Flood Relief Scheme increased dramatically from about €6 million to €14.4 million a new report has revealed.
An examination of the considerable additional expenditure was outlined in the Statutory Audit Report to Clare County Council for December 31, 2020 at the April meeting of the local authority.
This was due to emergency work that was necessary during the project and the urgent installation of a sheet pile wall along the full length of the originally proposed earthen embankment to protect 120 homes, numerous commercial properties and community buildings as such as St Flannan’s College.
The original contract award for the earthen embankment was €5.1 million, while design emergency work required following the slippages cost €1.8 million.
The cost of sheet pile design defence was €8.5 million, while the credit provision for the original works not completed was €1 million. The total revised cost of the contract was €14.4 million.
After negotiating on a revised tender and completing due diligence on the pricing – recommended to the central funding agency concerned, the OPW – it was deemed the significant additional costs of these works remained strongly cost beneficial.
The council recommended that the works should proceed, which they approved and agreed to fund in full. This was confirmed in writing from the OPW on May 21, 2020.
Councillor Johnny Flynn recalled 10 years ago he originally raised in a public consultation submission the potential of a blueway walk on the Fergus River banks from Ennis to Clarecastle.
As a member of the original working group in 2018/19, which included the dynamic Clarecastle Development Company that proposed the development of a Quin Road to Clareabbey blue way’ walk/cycle path in conjunction with the Ennis South Flood Scheme, he said it was great to be present at its official opening by Minister Heather Humphreys.
In 1995, following a serious flood event, Councillor Flynn and others set up the Ennis Flood Action Group to lobby for Flood Defences for the Fergus River North and South of Ennis including the badly flooded areas North and South of the Quin road from the metal bridge, adjacent to the former municipal dump. In 2014, he lobbied the government for funding for this scheme.
The auditor stated in his report management informed him that works commenced in April 2019 on the above scheme.
These works included three distinct elements of work; the construction of two flood alleviation culverts enclosing service diversions at Ballybeg and St Flannan’s College and the upgrade of a 1.5km existing earth embankment at the Clareabbey floodplain along with associated works to back drains, sluice gates and a new pumping station.
During the course of construction, difficulties were encountered along the riverbank resulting in the river bursting its banks and emergency works being required to mitigate the flood risks.
These slippages meant that the project design for upgrading the existing earthen embankments to provide ongoing flood protection had to be urgently reviewed.
This review included input from the Project Design Engineers, with advice and input from specialist geotechnical experts who found that it was imperative that an effective flood defence be constructed as soon as possible in order to restore the flood protection to the residents and business owners of properties bordering the Clareabbey floodplain.
It was determined the best solution available was the installation of a sheet pile wall along the full length of the originally proposed earthen embankment at the earliest juncture due to the flood risk and seasonal environmental constraints.
Because of the urgency and a clear danger to health and life, the council sought approval from the OPW to vary the scheme to an upgraded sheet pile wall construction now deemed necessary and to have the works carried out by the contractor on site.
To support these decisions, technical reports were carried out by a number of specialists; legal advice was sought on the planning implications of such a change, expert environmental advice on the potential effects on ecology and finally, specialist procurement advice and guidance from both the Office of Government Procurement and legal experts in this field.
Total expenditure of €12.7m to the end of 2020 has been incurred with the costs of same recouped from the central funding agency concerned. The auditor stated this matter will be further reviewed at the next audit.
Chief Executive, Pat Dowling said the auditor’s comments are a matter of record and noted the OPW acknowledged the significant work done by council staff in making the business case for the additional funding required and as stated above, have committed to funding the additional capital costs in full.
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.