The council is ready to seek planning approval for the project.
Completion of flooding prevention projects in Laois needs to be fast-tracked by the OPW.
That's the view of Laois TD Brian Stanley after his meeting with the body and with senior staff in Laois County Council on the Mountmellick flood relief scheme.
The council is now ready to seek planning approval for the project, which will consist of seven walls and embankments up to 9 feet in height and is expected to be completed by 2031 or 2032,
Deputy Stanley is also concerned about rising costs for the scheme, which have now risen to an estimated 20 million euro.
He says the local authority are doing everything they can:
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