Flooded with delays: Tipperary flood scheme still stalled six years after promise

The Nenagh Flood Relief Scheme is continuing to move forward despite a delay of approximately six years, with new developments confirmed last month following prolonged criticism over a lack of visible progress and continued flooding in the town.

Originally expected to begin around 2020, the project is to protect about 60 properties but building has yet to enter begin.

However, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Infrastructure Kevin 'Boxer' Moran confirmed in the Dáil last month that the project is advancing, although “the scope and complexity of the flood risk in Nenagh, to protect some 60 properties, has evolved”.

Work completed to date includes preliminary site surveys by the OPW, the establishment of a steering group and the preparation of tender documentation for engineering and environmental consultants, with tender documents expected to be issued by the end of the second quarter of 2026.The scheme is designed to protect approximately 60 properties and includes a 480-metre embankment along the Nenagh River, culvert replacements on the Benedin stream, hydraulic controls to manage water flow, and a flood forecasting unit.

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Despite this progress, the delay has remained a central issue.

By late 2025, the absence of construction works drew criticism from public representatives, with concerns raised that the scheme had not materialised five years after it had been promised.

Questions were also raised regarding the use of funding and the lack of visible on-the-ground delivery.

Flooding events in November 2025 intensified these concerns when the Nenagh River burst its banks during heavy rainfall, leading to flooding of businesses and premises and the closure of local amenities including the leisure centre and playground.

The events highlighted the ongoing flood risk facing residents, businesses and infrastructure, including the town’s wastewater treatment plant.

During this period, it was confirmed that the project had expanded significantly in scope and had been reclassified in September 2023 from a small project to a major flood relief scheme due to the complexity of the required works and infrastructure.

Authorities stated that technical assessments were ongoing and that a design team would be appointed as part of the next phase of delivery.

Funding has been allocated over a number of years, with €2.6 million provided to Tipperary County Council since 2009 under OPW flood mitigation programmes.

While the scheme is now moving forward through planning and procurement stages, no construction timeline has yet been confirmed.

The combination of continued flood events and extended delays has maintained pressure on authorities to deliver the project, with the recent update representing the clearest indication to date that the scheme is progressing toward implementation, at long last.