Tipperary representatives seek urgent clarity on two planned flood relief schemes
Local representatives in north Tipperary are seeking urgent clarity on the timelines for the Ballina and Nenagh flood relief schemes.
Labour Party councillors Fiona Bonfield and Louise Morgan Walsh, as well as Labour TD Alan Kelly say they have fresh questions after an update was provided by Tipperary County Council about the flood relief schemes for Nenagh and Ballina.
According to the council, following the June 2025 consultation for the Ballina flood relief scheme, the design team is reviewing "significant" feedback from residents.
Cllr Bonfield says that residents have been clear in their asks, and they want clarity now on the plans to protect homes and businesses.
"The community was clear—we need designs that actually work for them. We need a firm timeline now on when the final preferred option will be ready for planning,” she said.
Ballina has seen a number of flooding events in the past, with significant floods hitting the town in 2000, 2009 and 2016.
Meanwhile, concerns have also been raised about progress on the Nenagh flood relief scheme.
On the plans for the Nenagh flood relief scheme, the council has said the project is now a “major” one, but that stage one, the preliminary design stage, won’t begin until later this year.
According to Cllr Bonfield, this project needs to be sped up, and interim measures are needed to protect the town before the flood relief scheme is delivered.
"With construction still years away, Nenagh can't just wait and hope. What interim measures are being put in place to protect vulnerable areas today?” she asked.
Last November, Nenagh’s leisure centre was cut off as a result of spot flooding when the nearby river burst its banks.
The proposed Nenagh flood relief scheme — announced in 2020 — aims to build a 480m embankment along the Nenagh River, as well as the replacement of a culvert on Benedin Stream with a hydraulic control to limit flows downstream during flood events, and a flood forecasting unit on River Nenagh.
In a joint statement, the three north Tipperary Labour Party representatives said they will keep the pressure on Tipperary County Council and the Government, and aim to bring peace of mind to residents and business owners living in these areas.
"We won't let 2026 become a moving target. Flood relief is about peace of mind, not just paperwork.
"We are keeping the pressure on the OPW and Tipperary County Council to get this done,” they said.