Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

Locations in a number of counties have been affected by serious flooding in recent weeks due to unprecedented rainfall. The impact on communities has been severe. Areas of south County Mayo, including Roundfort-Hollymount, also suffered badly from flooding in 2006. I thank the Deputy for giving me an opportunity to discuss in the House the serious flooding in the Roundfort-Hollymount area in the past week.

The flooding, which has affected a house, agricultural land and the Hollymount-Tuam road, is a complex issue to deal with due to the nature of the terrain in the area. A substantial part of the affected lands contains a number of interlinked turloughs. These features are protected under the provisions of the EU habitats directive. Any proposals for flood mitigation works or any works that would impact on the turloughs must have the consent of the NPWS of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

Following the flooding in late 2006, the OPW drew up proposals to address the problem in Roundfort-Hollymount. These involved extending the OPW's dredging operations into a channel in the area. Although being a continuation of a channel forming part of the Corrib-Mask-Robe arterial drainage scheme, which is maintained by the OPW, it was not part of that scheme. The work would be carried out under the provisions of the Arterial Drainage Act 1945.

These proposals were distributed to landowners in the area at a meeting arranged by the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, in February 2008. Mayo County Council was also consulted. The complexity of the problem was recognised, including the view at the time of the need to balance mitigation measures with environmental constraints regarding water levels in the turloughs that would limit the extent of protection from flooding that could be provided.

As is required, the OPW commissioned an ecological study regarding the environmental impacts of the proposals in March 2008. The report of the outcome of this study was submitted to the NPWS in April 2008 for consent to proceed with the works. The NPWS raised a number of issues and requirements. It wanted a more detailed cost benefit analysis of the properties affected, an assessment of the impact on turloughs in the area using specified EU methodologies, a comprehensive examination of alternative solutions to addressing the problem, consultations with experts in turlough systems and an analysis of the frequency of the flooding.

To address these concerns, the OPW extended the scope of the initial ecological study in May 2008. The OPW also commissioned Dr. Roger Goodwillie, who is recognised as one of the foremost experts in the area of turloughs in Ireland, to examine the proposals. Due to the complexity of the problem, the completion and synthesis of these studies took somewhat longer than anticipated. As a result of the additional ecological studies, the OPW modified the original proposals for the works. The modified proposals were submitted to the NPWS on 3 November 2009. If the proposals meet with its approval, it would be the intention of the OPW to undertake the work as part of its 2010 works programme.

As in the case of many of the OPW's proposals to carry out works, unexpected issues arise that are outside the direct control of the office. Some of these issues relate to sensitive matters of an environmental or archaeological nature that must, under EU directives, be assessed by the appropriate authorities before works can proceed. In the Roundfort-Hollymount situation, the OPW had no alternative but to refer the issues that arose to the NPWS.

I assure the Deputy that the OPW will move ahead as quickly as possible with the works when they have been approved by that body. Progress in this regard would be dependent on water levels in the river and environmental windows available for such works, which would have a significant impact on when the works could commence. In the circumstances, it is unlikely that any substantive work will be done before next spring.

In light of recent severe flooding over large parts of the country, a fundamental reappraisal needs to be undertaken of the appropriate balance between protecting people, homes and livelihoods and other important environmental considerations relating to habitats, wild life, rare plants, turloughs and other natural features. While I am sure the different interests and priorities can be reconciled, I am firmly of the opinion that proper weight must be given to flood protection where people are concerned.

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