Scaled-back flood relief measures planned at Lough Funshinagh

Roscommon County Council is planning to proceed with scaled-back flood relief measures at Lough Funshinagh, two months after a High Court action by an environmental group stopped work on a larger flood alleviation project for the area.

At a special meeting of the local authority last week, council CEO Eugene Cummins announced he had signed an order for the commencement of "interim emergency flood relief works" which, he said, could be carried out lawfully "without approval from An Bord Pleanála or any other third party."

Like the work halted in the High Court action taken by the Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), the council's proposed 'interim' scheme involves an overflow pipe from Lough Funshinagh to the River Shannon.

However, the level of overflow discharge from the lake in South Roscommon would, in this case, be limited to "less than 2 million cubic meters of water per annum," which Mr Cummins described as a "very small" volume of water.

"This is not going to solve what we set out to solve with the original scheme, but we have taken on board what FIE have said," he commented.

"This is a very, very small amount of water but it will help to keep the situation at bay. That's all it will do."

Mr Cummins said he hoped the scaled-back works would provide "some comfort" to flood-threatened residents in areas such as Ballagh and Lisfelim.

"I hope we are able to get (the work) done in time for the winter, because the local people have to live in horrendous circumstances. It is my regret that I can't do more for them, but this may help, or at least hold it at bay and give them some comfort."

The council carried out 'screening for appropriate assessment' and 'screening for environmental impact assessment' reports in relation to the proposed work, arguing that full environmental impact assessment or appropriate assessment reports were not required.

Mr Cummins said he was satisfied the council had met its legal obligations in respect of the works, adding it would be "tragic" if they did not proceed.

"I think at this stage, if these works are stopped, it would be a tragic development. And if they are stopped, whoever stops them should go down and face the people, look them in the eye, and tell them that they have stopped it.

"Hopefully that won't happen, with Christmas coming up and everything," he commented.

Mr Cummins was speaking at a special meeting of the council where the Lough Funshinagh flooding situation was the only item on the agenda.

In a statement at the outset of the meeting, he said the flooding emergency at the disappearing lake "has not gone away" and that, in fact, the lake was currently close to 460 mm higher than it was at this stage last year.

The High Court challenge by the FIE in August halted work on a flood relief pipeline which had been under construction since the beginning the summer.

Mr Cummins said that, since then, the council had retained Malachy Walsh and Partners, engineering and environmental consultants, to provide independent advice on the situation.

"They have completed their analysis and have advised the council on the circumstances where the council may lawfully carry out an emergency solution development without approval from An Bord Pleanála, or any other third party.

"With the benefit of that independent advice, and what has been learned from the High Court challenge, the Council will carry out interim emergency flood relief works that are necessary, appropriate and lawful to protect persons, property and the environment.

"The council welcomes the attention given by all interested persons to this complex humanitarian issue, and is committed to progressing the matter in a transparent way that will withstand robust scrutiny," the statement said.

Mr Cummins added that he would be contacting the Office of Public Works (OPW) to ask for their resources to be made available in carrying out work on the interim flood measures.

"I don't know when that might happen, but (the OPW) have been very helpful. Hopefully they'll be able to respond quickly," he said.

Cllr Laurence Fallon, who lives close to Lough Funshinagh, welcomed the announcement of the revised works but said the limited nature of what was proposed was a disappointment.

"The lake is at a different level now to what it ever was before, and we are looking at a crisis, in the very near future, which will mean life and death," said Cllr Fallon.

"The public roads have been raised to a level where any further raising is impossible. There is water on both sides of them, and the risk to people passing up and down those roads is very serious indeed.

"What we are attempting to do is to remove a very small quantity of water so that, in some way, we can maintain the situation and that it would be no worse next winter than it was last winter.

"That's the most that we can expect from what's being proposed here today," he stated.