The OPW Minister says flood relief in Blackpool will take longer than other schemes in the city.
Minister Patrick O'Donovan was speaking in the city yesterday following a meeting between officials from the OPW and the City Council.
Tender documents are due to be sent out for the Morrison's Island scheme this year, with construction expected next year.
While flood relief works on the Glashaboy River in Glanmire are expected to get underway when a contractor is appointed in the first half of the year.
Works in Blackpool are scheduled to take longer than the others due to the type of planning permission required for the plan.
Speaking to RedFM News, Minister Patrick O'Donovan says a "terrible weakness" in the country's planning process has been exposed in the past few years and says new legislation aims to reform the it.
"We have to change that system, and I think there's a realisation now with all parties that the current system is now not fit for purpose.
"I hope that the bill as it makes its passage through life and it moves from being a conceptual type document, I would hope that the opposition would see the need for the greater good to trump party political positions when it comes to that."
