Work on permanent measures to guard against flooding in Co Galway will not begin until at least 2030.
Latest estimates suggest the 'Coirib go Cósta', Galway Flood Relief Scheme, will cost in the region of €50 million.
It is described as essential to safeguard against future flood risks, both in coastal areas and in parts of the city near the River Corrib.
As part of ongoing preparatory work on the project, a number of suggested designs are being unveiled.
They aim to protect against one in 200-year coastal flooding events and one in 100-year river flooding events.
The defences would run from the Blackrock area of Salthill, to the southern shore of Lough Atalia, close to the city centre.
A number of options such as dredging, offshore break waters and tidal barriers have been ruled out, either due to effectiveness, cost or for environmental reasons.
Instead, planners said direct defences are the most viable flood alleviation measures.
These could include permanent or temporary walls; embankments; or terracing and the raising of ground, to minimise the risk of water inundating coastal areas.
The construction of a 1.1 metre wall on, or close to, the Salthill promenade, and the installation of demountable defences near the Spanish Arch, are among the suggestions being put forward.
Galway City Council, the Office of Public Works and consultants from the Arup engineering firm will consider submissions on the options, before selecting a final preferred design.
It is envisaged that could be done by the start of 2027, with a formal planning application being submitted by late 2028.
Subject to approval and the avoidance of a protracted legal challenge, the project would go to tender in 2029, with construction not beginning until 2030.
The project would protect over 1,000 homes and businesses in the areas most at risk of flood events. It will be devised to be as viable, acceptable, sustainable and cost effective as possible.
But the timeframe for completion of the initiative has been pushed back on a number of occasions.
It was first mooted in 2019, with an initial partial completion date of 2027.
