Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I know he has raised it before in the Dáil. It is a very distressing situation for people living and earning their livelihood around Lough Funshinagh. I have not had the chance to visit but am familiar with the area and it has been raised with me personally by the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, and Senator Dolan. The Minister of State, the OPW and Roscommon County Council are working to find a resolution to the issue. Temporary defences will be deployed in the interim. The Minister of State plans to meet with the Lough Funshinagh flood crisis committee on Thursday.

Since the beginning of January, the level of the lough has risen by about 300 mm, giving an average daily rate of rise of about 1 cm. The level of the lough is presently 325 mm below the road level in some areas. The lough, if it continues to rise at this rate, could overtop the road and inundate properties in less than a month's time. To mitigate the risk of that, Roscommon County Council plans to employ temporary defences along the top of the road. This work will likely need to commence in the next one to two weeks. In advance of the work starting, it will be necessary for the families in at least two properties to vacate their homes until such time as the lake levels are lower. The timescale is difficult to predict but could be of the order of four months. Officials from the council have already engaged with these families and will help them in any way they can.

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