The Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran TD, said that these locations will make this new emergency response equipment available to all parts of the country.

The 20 pumps and mobile water-filled flood barriers (aqua-dams) will provide local authorities with the agility and flexibility to further improve their response to flood events. Following Storm Chandra, earlier this year, that affected the east and south east of the country, the Government tasked the OPW with procuring pumps and mobile water-filled flood barriers to supplement emergency equipment stocks across all local authorities.

The OPW has worked closely with the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and the market to procure this equipment. The OPW published a tender competition for the pumps and barriers over the summer, and the tender evaluations are currently being finalised.

The Minister said it is expected that the frameworks to draw down this equipment will be in place and available to the local authorities by November 2026. He added said that while the OPW has sourced these barriers and pumps, they will be managed by the local authorities, and the equipment will be made available for deployment by local authorities nationally. For a full list of flood relief schemes and further information visit www.floodinfo.ie.