Contract Awarded to design Sandymount Flood Defence Scheme

Dublin City Council would like to announce that it has awarded a contract to design the Sandymount Flood Defence Scheme.

The contract has been awarded to Jacobs.

Sandymount is one of the city areas most vulnerable to coastal flooding. That risk is continuing to increase as climate change progresses and potentially accelerates in the coming decades.

Separately, the Sandymount area is also at risk from surface water flooding, i.e. run-off from rainfall.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin James Geoghegan said, "I am pleased to announce this morning that Dublin City Council has awarded a contract to Jacobs to design the Sandymount Flood Defence Scheme. This is a major step forward in defending the Sandymount coastline against flooding. It is great to see progress finally being made in this long overdue infrastructural project. Today's announcement paves the way for early construction of the flood-relief scheme and a clear direction of travel for the community and for homeowners who cannot get home insurance in the area."

The contract awarded to Jacobs is to carry out a comprehensive study of the risks to the community of Sandymount from both coastal and pluvial Flooding. Jacobs has been commissioned to design works and measures to protect the community from the current risks, with those works to be as fully adaptable as possible to protect against the medium and longer term risks (both coastal and pluvial) associated with Climate Change. A key requirement of those designs is to minimise their impact on the environment, including on the various Natura 2000 sites for which Dublin Bay is designated.

Opportunities to enhance the public amenity and to provide co-benefits shall be explored wherever possible subject to any constraints arising from the need to protect our environment, habitats, and protected species. Opportunities to enhance environmental aspects of the area where possible will also be explored.

John Flanagan Assistant Chief Executive said, "With the awarding of this design contract we are working towards the protection of the community of Sandymount from the currently known risks of coastal and pluvial flooding, which are further exacerbated by the effects of climate change.''

Jacobs Technical and Environmental teams will work collaboratively from the start of the project so that all environmental considerations are taken into account at the very earliest stages of their work. Jacobs will also engage and consult with the general public, stakeholders, and other parties on behalf of Dublin City Council throughout the life of the project, in order to facilitate two-way communication.

This contract is being fully funded by the Office of Public Works [OPW] as part of their Flood Relief Programme under the National Development Plan 2021-2030. The OPW is Ireland's lead agency for flood risk management and is the national authority for the implementation of the EU Directive on the Assessment and Management of Flood Risks [2007/60/EC].

"Jacobs brings deep experience in long-term resilience solutions to support Dublin City Council on the Sandymount Flood Defence Scheme,"said Jacobs Senior Vice President Kate Kenny. "We look forward to working together to safeguard the coastline and community from the effects of sea level rise and climate change for years to come."