The OPW Minister says Carrick on Shannon Flood Defence scheme will not be complete until late 2026 at the earliest.
Patrick O'Donovan confirmed this week that planning for the project will be submitted next year and further consultation will be carried out by Leitrim County Council.
The Fine Gael representative says the works will also protect habitats while developing Carrick-on-Shannon as a hub for the Northwest.
Minister O'Donovan says the major civil engineering project is an investment of over 13 million euro.
" This is not a small scheme, we are talking about 76 properties, 1800 meters of flood defence wall, 846 meters of embankments and flood gates. So this is a big big civil engineering project and Leitrim County Council being one of the smallest county councils in the country as you know, leading it for us and the investment will be well over 13 or 14 million."
"Money wont be a constraint here, the OPW are well resourced and well funded and Leitrim County Council know that."
