Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. I visited Lough Funshinagh because I am not great in the abstract; I wanted to see first-hand and I am very much solution-focused. My trip to Lough Funshinagh was to meet the people, but also to see it first-hand for myself. I visited Lough Funshinagh on 12 April and have seen at first-hand the devastating impact the situation there is having for home owners and the community.

The eight townlands that straddle Lough Funshinagh have lived in harmony with the lake for decades. The highest levels in the lake annually were typically 66 m above Ordnance

Datum, mOD. The land, when dry, is used as commonage and the community work to preserve the rich biodiversity associated with this area.

Since 2016 this turlough, or disappearing lake, is not draining as it did previously and the water levels at Lough Funshinagh are currently at their highest recorded levels. Since January the average daily levels are rising by about 1 cm. On 20 April the levels reached their highest ever recorded at 69.38 mOD, or 3.38 m above the normal annual high level of 66 mOD. As of 22 April 2024, the levels are at 69.36 mOD, or 3.36 m above the normal annual level of 66 mOD. This extra 3.36 m is spanning an extended area of circa 178 ha. The additional volume of water contained in this extended area is approximately 3 million cu. m or the equivalent of 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools by volume. That puts it in context. The exceptionally high rainfall levels are contributing to this situation.

Roscommon County Council has deployed every emergency response measure it can and which is achievable through road raising, pumping and sandbags to keep the rising water levels from entering people’s properties. It is not possible to pump the water away from the area, so it is just pumped back into the lake to keep it away from properties. The OPW is currently supplying seven pumps to Roscommon County Council and servicing these pumps on site to support the council’s efforts to mitigate and manage the flood risk. Lough level changes are being closely monitored and risk-assessed on site by Roscommon County Council. The Civil Defence has also been requested by Roscommon County Council to undertake local patrols to gain familiarity with the local terrain and it has done so over recent weekends. In the week beginning 8 April, Roscommon County Council had to evacuate two families from their properties and close a regional road, the R362 at Curraghboy, except for local access. These measures will remain in place for some months.

The Deputies can read the circulated speech. I want to cover this in the limited time I have. I visited Lough Funshinagh on Friday, 12 April along with the OPW and the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Roscommon County Council. We held constructive discussions towards finding a solution involving the completion of the underground overflow pipe and including completing temporary works, as an emergency and conservation measure, to manage the flooding in this area. Logistically and technically works can be completed this summer and a request for legal advices from the Attorney General has been submitted to identify legally if a statutory or planning consent process can support these works and conservation measures in these circumstances at Lough Funshinagh. The steering group for Lough Funshinagh, with representatives from Roscommon County Council, the OPW and the National Parks and Wildlife Service met on Monday, 15 April and finalised the request for legal advices that issued to the Attorney General's office on 17 April 2024, which is being prioritised.

I will be meeting the Attorney General and his team, so it is something I am taking a deep, personal interest in. I gave that commitment to trying to find a solution and working with everyone. I thank the Lough Funshinagh action group, the residents of Lough Funshinagh and their public representatives. I think everyone is at one. We are actively engaging with the Attorney General's office. I will be looking to meet the Attorney General about this as well, along with my team. A further steering group meeting was held on 19 April.

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