Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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408. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the trial on lowering water levels in Lough Allen undertaken by the Shannon flood risk State agency co-ordination working group; if there are any legal or statutory impediments to such measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37506/16]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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A decision was taken by the Shannon Flood Risk State Agency Co-ordination Working Group on 18October 2016 to trial the lowering of the lake levels in Lough Allen to help mitigate potential flood risk for this Winter.

From the analysis completed, this may have a small positive impact on the extent of certain flood events that might occur during a Winter.

A number of meetings and contacts have taken place between the ESB, Waterways Ireland and the OPW over the past weeks to consider the requirements and potential implications of lowering late Autumn and Winter minimum lake levels in Lough Allen by approximately 0.7m. A key consideration in this process has been to ensure that any additional flows released out of Lough Allen, which would be required to draw levels in the Lough down to a lower level, must not cause flooding downstream of Lough Allen.

A protocol has been developed and is currently being finalised for the operation of the Bellantra Sluices at the outlet of Lough Allen to reduce the levels in the Lough over this winter.

I am happy to say that the testing of the new regime has already begun, and the levels in the Lough were reduced to the new, lower minimum level in October this year, with releases having been made since then as and when possible to try and maintain this level.

While the impact of this initiative may be quite small, this demonstrates the continued commitment of the agencies to work in a coordinated way to explore all measures that may benefit the communities along the River Shannon.