Pictured, L-R, at a meeting to discuss the Ballinasloe Flood Relief Scheme in Áras an Chontae, Galway, were: Deputy John Connolly, Deputy Mairead Farrell, Minister of State Noel Grealish, Minister of State Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, Minister of State Seán Canney, Cllr David Collins, Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway, Brendan McDonagh, Executive Engineer, Galway County Council, Enda Gallagher, Senior Executive Engineer, Galway County Council, and Liam Conneally, Chief Executive, Galway County Council. Photo credit: Galway County Council.

'Boxer' announces progress on "much-needed" flood relief scheme for Ballinasloe

Published: Mon 30 Jun 2025, 5:20 PM

Last updated: Mon 30 Jun 2025, 6:24 PM

Minister of State Kevin 'Boxer' Moran has indicated that a flood relief scheme for Ballinasloe is expected to advance to the planning approval phase inside the first six months of next year.

Minister Moran, who has responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), discussed the planned flood relief scheme during a meeting with Galway County Council, which was also attended by other elected representatives including Ministers of State Seán Canney and Noel Grealish.

Following that meeting, Galway County Council today (Monday) issued a statement welcoming the expected progression of the Ballinasloe project to the planning stage next year.

The council said the news represented "a key milestone in efforts to address long-standing flood risks in the town".

It added that the planning phase would be undertaken following "the successful completion of detailed scheme design and environmental assessment work."

Ballinasloe has experienced some significant flooding incidents over the years, notably in November 2009 and during the winter of 2015/2016, when the River Suck, the Deerpark River, and surrounding tributaries burst their banks.

Cllr David Collins, Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway, said: "Flooding has had a devastating impact on Ballinasloe's residents, businesses, and essential infrastructure.

"It's encouraging to see meaningful progress being made. We look forward to working closely with the OPW and project teams as the scheme moves towards planning early next year."

The progress was also welcomed this week by Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council.

"This scheme represents a long-term solution to significantly reduce flood risk in Ballinasloe and support the sustainable development of the town," said Mr Conneally.

"We are committed to supporting the OPW and ensuring this much-needed project is advanced without delay."

The Shannon Catchment Flood Risk Management Plan, finalised in May 2018, identified Ballinasloe as a high-risk area and recommended the development of a dedicated flood relief scheme.

In collaboration with Galway County Council, the OPW appointed Arup, in partnership with Hydro-Environmental Ltd, to lead the scheme's engineering design.

Ryan Hanley Ltd was tasked with carrying out the necessary environmental assessments to guide the planning and development process.