Minister Moran and Roscommon County Council Turn on Pumps to Manage Water Levels at Lough Funshinagh 

Minister of State at the Office of Public Works, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran T.D., and the Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council, Paschal Fitzmaurice today turned on the interim pumping solution, to help manage the flood risk at Lough Funshinagh, pending the completion of a permanent scheme.

Minister Moran praised the work by An Taoiseach, An Tánaiste and former Ministers for the OPW, Kieran O’Donnell T.D. and Patrick O’Donovan T.D. for their work and support to identify this interim solution for Lough Funshinagh.

The significance of this event for the local community cannot be understated, as they have had to endure unprecedented water levels at Lough Funshinagh for some years, causing substantial damage and risks to their homes and businesses. The Minister thanked the Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council for the Council’s work and resilience with finding a workable interim solution for Lough Funshinagh and for the Council’s ongoing emergency response to managing the flood risk to the affected lakeshore communities.

The Minister said “today is a very positive day and would not have been possible without the support and constructive engagement of the residents from Lough Funshinagh. Their deep connection with Lough Funshinagh and its preservation has been to the fore throughout this process notwithstanding the challenges they faced from the flood risk to their homes and businesses.”  The Minister also paid tribute to the landowners who are providing access on their lands for these interim works and this was a further indication of how this scheme was only made possible by the strong community that supported Roscommon County Council, and the OPW during the planning process and now for the execution of the interim works.

The Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council, Paschal Fitzmaurice said:

“On behalf of the elected members of Roscommon County Council, I welcome this significant milestone and the peace of mind it gives to local residents and landowners after years of distress.  In addition, we as members are confident that the ongoing surveys and environmental assessments being carried out by Roscommon County Council, the OPW and other key stakeholders will pave the way for a permanent solution in the not too distant future.

With the support of the OPW, Roscommon County Council hope to submit the planning application for a permanent solution towards the end of this year.  In the meantime, I am delighted to have this temporary pumping solution in operation, as it will ensure the devastation caused by flooding at numerous locations around the lake in recent years will not be repeated.”

Civil and mechanical works were executed efficiently by Donegal company, Source Civil Limited and Dutch company Holland Special Pumps. The exceptional scope and innovative nature of the interim works was jointly highlighted by the Minister and the Cathaoirleach and would not have been possible without the flood risk management expertise and specialists pumping solutions in the Netherlands. They both acknowledged the world class approach by the Netherlands to managing its flood risk and Ireland’s strong relations with the Netherlands continues to inform our policies, plans and solutions for managing Ireland’s flood risk.  

The interim scheme involves water from Lough Funshinagh being pumped over ground for more than two kilometers to the Cross River near Curraghboy in the townland of Carrick, County Roscommon.  The project team of consultants (ARUP and Malachy Walsh & Partners) have designed the scheme to minimise and mitigate against environmental impacts at Lough Funshinagh, along the pump route, at the point of discharge and within the Cross River catchment. 

In accordance with planning approval granted by An Bord Pleanála, the pumps will operate on a temporary basis in order to minimise damage to property and infrastructure while a second planning application for a permanent flood management solution is being prepared.  The temporary scheme also includes ongoing monitoring of water levels in Lough Funshinagh and in the Cross River.

Roscommon County Council would also like to acknowledge the support of Ryan-Hanley and Callington Limited for the important role they played in the delivery of the interim scheme.  The Council would also like to acknowledge and thank the dedicated staff of the Athlone Municipal District for supporting local communities through a series of unprecedented flooding events, providing property protection measures, and facilitating this temporary pumping scheme.