New dates for Portarlington and Mountmellick flood defences in Laois

The Minister responsible for flood defences has given new timelines for Portarlington and Mountmellick’s multi million projects.

While Mountmellick’s project is ahead with a planning decision due shortly, both are expected to begin construction in 2028.

Mountmellick’s €20 million project will be finished by “early 2032” and Portarlington’s €19.5 million project by late 2031, according to Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran.

The minister gave the update in answer to a parliamentary question by Laois TD Brian Stanley.

Dep Stanley now says the “pace has to be stepped up a gear”.

“The necessity to advance these schemes to protect the homes and businesses at risk of flood damage in both Mountmellick and Portarlington cannot be overstated.

“Having discussed it again with Minister Kevin Boxer Moran and received official replies to recent Parliamentary Questions, some progress has been made.

I welcome the fact that the Minister has now given timelines for construction to begin in Mountmellick in the first half of 2028 and Portarlington expected to start in second half of 2028.

“However, the pace has to be stepped up a gear,” he said.

He had asked the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Kevin Boxer Moran, for the timeline for completion of the flood defence in Portarlington and Mountmellick.

Minister Moran gave the following detailed answer.

“The Mountmellick Flood Relief Scheme is designed to protect 165 properties from the 100 year flood event, the standard required by the insurance industry. Its design, as with all schemes, is adaptable for climate change.

“On the 28 October 2025, LCC submitted a planning application for this flood relief scheme to An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP). A submission for Compulsory Purchase Order was made on the same date.

“A number of submissions were received by ACP in response to the above application which were responded to by LCC in early 2026. Subsequently, on 25 May 2026, ACP issued to LCC a request for 17 items of further information. Laois County Council in conjunction with the scheme's engineering and environmental consultants are currently preparing responses to these requests.

“Subject to planning consent, and following a period for detailed design, construction is expected to commence in Q2 2028 with a projected completion at the end of 2031 or early 2032.

“Laois County Council is also completing further studies and options appraisal to address any residual flood risk from exceedance events in Mountmellick once the scheme is complete,” he said.

He said that the design of the Portarlington Flood Relief Scheme is at an advanced stage, with a preferred option identified.

“The proposed Scheme includes a broad range of flood defences including walls, new pump station, embankment, improvements of existing features such as culverts and embankments, among others.

“These defences are expected to provide protection for 72 properties up to the 100-year flood event.

“The scheme’s Options Report and Environmental Impact Assessment Report along with the other planning documents are being finalised.

“Landowner engagement is also continuing and LCC expects to submit a planning consent request to ACP in the second half of 2027.

“Subject to planning consent, and following a period for detailed design, construction is expected to commence in Q4 2028 with a projected completion date of late 2031,” Minister Moran said.

The schemes follow on from the OPW’s 2018 Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme, which identified and described the flood risk and potential viable flood relief options in 29 river basins (including the Barrow River Basin and the towns of Mountmellick and Portarlington).

“The Government has committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of Flood Relief Schemes through the National Development Plan to protect some 23,000 properties, identified in the Flood Risk Management Plans in those 150 communities that are under threat from river and coastal flood risk.

“Since 2018, and constrained by available specialised engineering resources, nationally, the OPW in partnership with Local Authorities has trebled the number of flood relief schemes at design, planning or construction to some 100 schemes at this time. This includes schemes for Mountmellick and Portarlington.

“Under the national delivery model, Laois County Council (LCC) is leading the project management for the delivery of flood relief schemes for Mountmellick and Portlarlington,” the Minister said.