9.11 The Office of Public Works (OPW) is the lead agency for flood risk management in Ireland and the national competent authority for the EU Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) 11 . This directive requires Member States to carry out preliminary flood risk assessment of their river basins and coastal areas to identify areas where potential significant flood risk exists. Member states are then required to prepare flood hazard and flood risk maps. The National Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) 12 programme commenced in 2011 and is the principle response to the Floods Directive on the assessment and management of flood risk in Ireland. The Lee Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Study (Lee CFRAMS) was the first pilot CFRAM study under the programme and set out a range of potential flood risk management options for particular areas within the Lee catchment including the Lower Lee (Cork City). The OPW, in conjunction with Cork City Council and Cork County Council, is now planning the Lower Lee (Cork City) Flood Relief Scheme 13 .
The scheme covers the area from Inniscarra Dam to the City Centre. The standard of protection intended to be provided by the scheme is the 1 in 100-year flood from the River Lee and the 1 in 200-year flood from the tide. The scheme is also intended to be adaptable to provide greater protection in the future in response to climate change. The scheme will include: flood defences along the River Lee downstream of Inniscarra Dam and through Cork City; changes to the operating procedures for the Carrigadrohid and Inniscarra reservoirs for the purposes of flood risk management, and a flood forecasting system to help guide decision-making on dam discharges; and, if necessary, the erection of temporary / demountable defences downstream and in Cork City.
11 https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/429a79-river-basin-management-plan-2018-2021/ 12 https://www.floodinfo.ie/about_frm/ 13 https://www.floodinfo.ie/frs/en/lower-lee/home/
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Cork City Draft Development Plan 2022-2028
Volume 1 I Chapter 9
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