No good news on taskforce calls for Lough Funshinagh
As another winter approaches, there was no good news emanating from the Dáil on foot of recent calls for the establishment of a taskforce to address ongoing flood risks in Lough Funshinagh in Roscommon.
While OPW Minister Patrick O'Donovan stressed he is doing all that he can to support the community and Roscommon County Council “to find an effective and sustainable solution” to the problem, he had no mention of a taskforce being part of this process.
Independent TD Denis Naughten highlighted the issue in a parliamentary question in the Dáil on October 6, having been part of seven-strong group of TDs who tabled a Dáil motion seeking the establishment of a cross-departmental and cross-agency task force to tackle emergency climate adaptation measures back in June to protect homes.
The humanitarian crisis faced by eight families living in the vicinity of Lough Funshinagh was raised in the Dáil at that stage with the Taoiseach asked to establish a national taskforce which will authorise flood alleviation works as “a case study”. The motion called on the Government to remove the EU habitats designation on Lough Funshinagh; amend the Planning and Development Acts, the Local Government Act 2001and the Local Authority(Works) Act 1949 and to ensure “pumps, fuel and personnel are in place” to prevent homes from flooding around Lough Funshinagh while the task force completes its work.
Eight families in the Ballagh and Lisphelim areas of Roscommon are living for several years now with the significant threat to their properties and businesses and some 300 hectares of farmland as a result of the lake levels in Lough Funshinagh. A house was recently demolished in the area.
Work on an overflow pipe to alleviate the flood risk was halted in the courts last year. In the Dáil recently, Minister Patrick O'Donovan explained in a timeline what has been happening since the summer, however, there wasn't much new detail in his reply.
In May, Joe Murphy, Cathaoirleach, Roscommon County Council and then CEO of Roscommon County Council, Eugene Cummins, wrote to him highlighting the “policy and legislative issues that Roscommon County Council believed needed to be addressed and amended to allow the Council pursue works at Lough Funshinagh”.
As many of these issues are within the remit of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, he referred these matters to Minister Darragh O’Brien for his early consideration, and met with his Junior Minister Peter Burke.
“Under my direction senior officials from the OPW met with officials from Roscommon County Council on 20th June with those discussions focused on identifying possible approaches to a viable solution to manage the flooding risk at Lough Funshinagh.
“There is ongoing engagement with the Council and other State agencies and further meetings are being scheduled to follow up on the matters discussed,” Minister O'Donovan explained, adding that in early July he and his officials met with the local community, where he reassured them of his “continued support” to finding a viable solution.
“I can assure the Deputy that I am doing all that I can to support both the community and Roscommon County Council in progressing this matter to find an effective and sustainable solution to address the flooding risk in the area,” he ended.