Donegal County Council will submit a planning application to An Coimisiún Pleanála for the Burnfoot Flood Relief Scheme after OPW approval, with the project designed to protect 49 properties.

Announcing the move on 14 May 2026, Kevin "Boxer" Moran TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, confirmed the council's next step in progressing the long-awaited protections for the community.

Minister Moran said: "I am pleased to announce that following OPW approval, Donegal County Council is proceeding with a planning application for a flood relief scheme for Burnfoot and I wish to acknowledge the support from the community in Burnfoot that was valuable to inform the design of a scheme for its town, which will protect 49 properties including 41 residential properties and 8 commercial properties at risk from flooding."

Burnfoot has endured severe flooding, notably in 2017 when up to 30 homes were inundated and at least seven local businesses suffered damage. The Burnfoot River overtopped its banks, local roads were impacted and the Wastewater Treatment Plant sustained significant harm.

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Following the Government's introduction of Flood Risk Management Plans, Donegal County Council, with OPW funding, appointed Tetra Tech (formerly RPS) in July 2020 to design a tailored flood relief scheme for the area.

The proposed works include new flood defence walls and embankments, upgrades to culverts, and associated bridge and road improvements along the Burnfoot River and the Carnashannagh Stream.

Today's step follows detailed engineering analysis, environmental assessments and public engagement on flood sources and mitigation options. With OPW approval, the council will now seek planning consent from An Coimisiún Pleanála.

The Minister highlighted that the Government is investing about €104 million in flood risk management across Donegal, with Burnfoot one of 12 schemes planned for the county.

These projects are funded under the National Development Plan's €1.3 billion allocation for flood relief measures. Designs are future-proofed and adaptable to address the growing risks associated with climate change.

OPW flood relief schemes progress through five stages and can take up to ten years from design to completion due to factors such as ground conditions, consultation timelines and market capacity. The CFRAM Programme, completed in 2018, underpins this work and assessed flood risk for roughly two-thirds of the population.

To date, 56 schemes have been completed at a cost of about €580 million, protecting over 13,580 properties and delivering an estimated €2 billion in economic benefits. Since 2018, the number of schemes at design, planning and construction has trebled to around 100, meaning the State has completed or is advancing works to protect 80% of at-risk properties.