As water levels continue to rise, Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), a group advocating for adherence to European environmental laws, has criticised the approach taken by Roscommon County Council.

According to a statement issued in recent days by FIE, the council’s decision in early May 2021 to bypass required Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for flood relief efforts contravened EU laws.

The council initially pursued a legal and rules-based approach, consulting with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and planning based on an environmental impact statement. However, they later reverted to using a 1949 Act, which pre-dates current environmental assessment requirements, to expedite flood relief measures.

“FIE challenged this in the High Court and the Council put up no defence, yet we had to return again to the Courts when work recommenced in breach we say of the High Court Order,” the statement from FIE said. This has led to significant concern among environmentalists about the precedent such actions may set.

In its statement, the FIE said: “All of those who work with FIE appreciate the anguish and anxiety that people are experiencing in the local area and have the greatest sympathy for the families who have been affected by flooding at this turlough; any flooding of a home is a frightening experience; the loss of one’s home is one of the most traumatic experiences one can have; and the creeping nature of groundwater flooding is particularly hard to endure”.

Local groups and politicians have voiced their growing concern over the impact of flooding on homes and farmland. They argue that immediate action is required to mitigate the rising water levels, which continue to threaten the region’s infrastructure and community well-being.

The discord highlights the complex balance between environmental conservation and the immediate needs of communities facing natural disasters.

As both sides seek solutions, the need for a balanced approach that respects both legal environmental protections and the urgent needs of affected residents remains a pressing issue for Roscommon County Council and national authorities.

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Among those welcoming the news was Independent councillor Laurence Fallon, who said it was in response to an invitation he had extended. Senator Eugene Murphy has also welcomed news of Deputy Martin’s planned visit, which he said was delivery on a commitment given to him (Senator Murphy).

Senator Murphy said that Tanàiste Micheál Martin will visit and meet with the people of Lough Funshinagh area and Curraghboy village following a commitment given to him over a month ago: “I am glad Micheál Martin is honouring his word to me and to the local community”, he said.

“In the meantime, it would be great if the Government found the space to bring forward legislation to ensure water could be drained from the lake.

“I spent a few hours in Curraghboy area recently –  meeting families – and they are scared out of their minds. The water is beginning to engulf that area and if that village falls to the flood, there will be great frustration from the public”, he stated.

For his part, Cllr Fallon said: “The situation at Lough Funshinagh was at crisis point when I wrote to the three leaders of Government over a month ago. The situation has escalated even further since then, with more homes at high risk of flooding, another road closed, and farmyards and land destroyed.

“While I welcome the fact that the Tanaiste has accepted my invitation, that visit is still three weeks away and this is an emergency situation which needs emergency intervention. I am urging the three Government leaders – the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and leader of the Green Party – to find an immediate solution to the devastation that is unfolding here,” stated Cllr Fallon.

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The situation has become critical, with homes evacuated and farmland submerged, as stakeholders press for solutions.

In 2021, Roscommon County Council initiated the installation of a flood-relief pipe to address the frequent flooding at Lough Funshinagh, a turlough known for its fluctuating water levels. However, the project was halted following a successful legal challenge by Friends of the Irish Environment (FEI), citing the EU’s Habitats Directive, which aims to protect natural habitats. The directive was incorporated into Irish law in 1997 by then Labour Party Minister, Michael D Higgins.

The recent worsening of conditions has been exacerbated by high winds and rain from Storm Kathleen, leaving approximately 1,300 acres of land underwater, with numerous homes and farms cut off. The increased water levels have led to road closures, adding to the local community’s distress.

Kieran O’Donnell, the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), visited the area last Friday, after his recent appointment following a cabinet reshuffle.

Minister O’Donnell has stated that the Attorney General is currently reviewing options to complete the flood-relief pipe project in the short-term, expressing his commitment to resolving the crisis urgently.

Local residents and the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) are at breaking point, according to IFA Flooding Project Team chair, Brendan Golden.

During a recent emergency meeting, Mr Golden highlighted that the crisis has reached a “crisis point,” necessitating immediate action to protect the community and their livelihoods. The IFA has also requested a meeting with Minister O’Donnell to discuss further actions to alleviate the flooding, particularly concerning the River Shannon.

Councillor Laurence Fallon (Independent), representing the area, has voiced significant concerns about the expanding impact of the flood, which now threatens additional homes and the main road between Rahara and Curraghboy.

According to Cllr Fallon, the area around Curraghboy lies about one metre lower than the current level of Lough Funshinagh, indicating that the flooding is likely to worsen unless substantial measures are taken.

“The situation on the ground is deteriorating rapidly, and this extended flooding will cause major hardship to yet more farmland. Now we are facing the unacceptable situation where more houses are at risk from flooding,” Cllr Fallon stated.

He has called on the government to take decisive action, emphasising the need for immediate water removal and long-term solutions: “The only solution is to remove a significant quantity of water from Lough Funshinagh immediately followed by the rapid implementation of a permanent solution”.

Locally, other councillors have speculated that the deteriorating humanitarian crisis at Lough Funshinagh should sufficiently equip the Government to direct the completion of the works by Roscommon County Council without contravening the current injunction, but as was confirmed by Minister of State O’Donnell, the Attorney General is currently looking into how the pipe can be completed to relieve the flooding.

As the community braces for ongoing challenges, the call for swift governmental action grows louder, with stakeholders from all sides urging for a resolution that will mitigate the flooding and restore normalcy to the affected regions of County Roscommon.

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Raising the issue with the Taoiseach in the Dáil this week, Deputy Kerrane said, “The situation at Lough Funshinagh is worsening hour by hour with water continually rising – and the rain keeps coming.

“As I stand here today, a fifth home is now likely to be evacuated. Water is now rapidly flowing towards Curraghboy village, extending this crisis even further. An overflow pipe, as a temporary and emergency measure is 60% completed and stalled.

“I know having met the new Minister for the OPW Kieran O’Donnell in Roscommon last Friday, along with other Oireachtas members, local councillors, and families from the community, as well as speaking to him yesterday, that advice is awaited now from the Attorney General. We need this advice now.

“People and families have had been forced to abandon their home and livelihoods have been destroyed. We need the advice to allow the emergency action now”, she concluded.

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Lough Funshinagh. A name that most local people have probably heard over the last number of years – but as this crisis rolls into its 8th year, the Roscommon People took a look back at how it is that this circa 1300 acres of land in South Roscommon, along with several homes, has become a symbol of the growing clash between environmental conservation and the stark realities of rising flood waters ruining livelihoods and homes.

Unprecedented challenges

Since 2016, this natural phenomenon has spiralled into a dire crisis for the local community, with flooding becoming more severe and less predictable, engulfing farmland, and homes, and disrupting lives.

The situation at Lough Funshinagh has reached unprecedented levels. Traditionally, turloughs fill with water during wet seasons and recede in drier months, but Lough Funshinagh has defied expectations, with water levels continuously rising each year, leading to annual flooding events that have placed immense strain on the local population. A particularly wet spring coupled with what was a very long and wet winter, has exacerbated the condition, causing distress and uncertainty for residents and farmers alike.

Efforts to combat the flooding

In response to the escalating crisis, Roscommon County Council has been at the forefront, proposing various measures to mitigate the flooding.

Among the proposed solutions is the installation of a pipe to divert water from Lough Funshinagh to Lough Ree, an effort aimed at reducing the water levels in the turlough and preventing further damage to the surrounding area.

This initiative, however, has faced legal challenges from environmental groups, most notably Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), who have raised concerns over the potential impact on the area’s designation as a Special Area of Conservation.

Legal and environmental hurdles

The legal battle, spearheaded by FIE, has centred on the environmental and legal ramifications of the proposed piping solution. The group’s actions in the High Court have underscored the delicate balance between human intervention and the preservation of natural habitats. These legal challenges have stymied efforts to address the flooding, leaving the community in a state of limbo, with residents facing the threat of further property damage and displacement, which became a reality last weekend as several homes were flooded despite the temporary flood defences that have been put in place.

Impact and response

The increasing water levels have not only led to physical barriers, restricting access to farmland and affecting local wildlife, but have also taken a significant emotional and psychological toll on the community. Independent councillor Laurence Fallon and affected farmers, including Eamon and John Leonard, have articulated the deep frustration and heartbreak that pervades the community, highlighting the urgent need for action.
Farmers like the Leonards face daunting challenges, with flooding impeding their ability to tend to livestock and manage their lands effectively. The crisis has forced some to consider drastic changes to their way of life, underlining the unsustainable nature of the situation. So too have several families, such as the Beattie family, been affected. The psychological strain of living in the path of rising flood waters is unimaginable for most.

Calls for emergency action

In early 2024, the crisis reached a critical point, with water levels at Lough Funshinagh at their highest for the time of year, sparking fears of unprecedented property damage and homelessness among residents.

In response, local officials and community members have intensified calls for the government to take emergency action, urging the implementation of the piping solution as a means to bring the lake back to safe levels and safeguard the environment and community.

Summary 

As of February 2024, some families were advised to evacuate their homes as a precaution against the rising water levels, highlighting the immediate risk to the community’s safety and well-being.

The local infrastructure, including roads, has been severely impacted, further isolating the community and complicating relief efforts.

Last weekend, the worst-case scenario came to pass as more houses were flooded despite the efforts of the local authority to fight the flood.
The saga of Lough Funshinagh exemplifies the complex interplay between environmental conservation and local livelihoods. It underscores the need for nuanced, multifaceted solutions that can address the urgent needs of affected communities while preserving the natural landscape.

As the community of Lough Funshinagh continues to navigate this crisis, the call for decisive, compassionate action remains louder than ever with several local politicians raising the issue at a national level with those in Government.

The post Lough Funshinagh: A chronology of chaos appeared first on Roscommon People.

Stating he has “deep fear” about the present situation, Senator Murphy said he is “fully intent” on arranging a visit by the Tánaiste.

He added: “I have asked the State to look at emergency legislation as one way of bringing relief to those poor people. We must act before more damage is done to the local community. In my view the Government must get a way around this, whatever it takes”.

Senator Murphy said he had already pointed out to the authorities some time ago that wildlife, flora and fauna, etc have all been destroyed in the area.

“The longer this goes on the more damage that will be done to the local environment. The so-called Friends of the Irish Environment are defeating the purpose here totally.

“The Lough Funshinagh debacle is without question the most difficult  issue I have dealt with during all my time in politics. I feel successive governments have not been bold enough while making efforts to solve the matter. For my part, I have done everything I can for the people there but I am very conscious that has not been enough”.

The senator said that he had brought the Minister for Agriculture to the area and has been in constant touch with Patrick O’Donovan, the (outgoing) minister with responsibility for the OPW, as well as raising the crisis in the Seanad on a number of occasions.

“I did promise the local community that I would have the Tánaiste visit. I am disappointed that to date this has not happened. I know in his present role as Minister for Foreign Affairs he is extremely busy, but I do expect him to fulfil his promises”.

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Padraig Beattie, a victim of the flooding at Lough Funshinagh, told the Roscommon People this week: “Only for the road was raised in 2021, we’d be flooded today. There are three pumps going around the clock at present to keep the water from ours and two other houses.

“We have six weeks of winter weather and uncertainty ahead of us. And considering that the current water level is slightly off of the peak levels seen in 2021, the next month or two will be very unnerving”.

Padraig and his mother Mary, along with their neighbours, are facing into their eighth year of uncertainty.

“The council have started deploying sandbags on the already raised road. Three years ago we saw our neighbours, the Lyons, having to evacuate their house as a result of the flooding.

“It is scary to think that all these years later we find ourselves in the same situation that they did before they were forced to leave their home”.

According to Padraig, there is an eight-mile diversion in place as a result of the L-2005 being closed by the local authority this week.

“This will have an ongoing impact on the wider community. There could be 100 people affected on a daily basis” he said this week.

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The Midlands-North-West MEP was speaking after a meeting he had arranged between representatives from the Lough Funshinagh Flood Crisis Committee and the EU Commission Director for Biodiversity, Humberto Delgado Rosa, alongside his Sinn Féin colleague and Roscommon-Galway TD Claire Kerrane. The meeting was held on Monday, 12^th of February.

MEP MacManus said: “We impressed upon the Commission officials the devastating impact of the flooding on the local community and the damage caused to local homes, farms, and the environment, and the urgency of finding a solution.

“It was very positive to hear Director Delgado Rosa indicate that the EU’s Habitats Directive should not prevent emergency work taking place to protect the SAC and that it should not take several years for an appropriate assessment to take place. He also agreed to engage with the National Parks and Wildlife Service on these issues, which is very welcome”

MEP MacManus said that it is crucial that the NPWS accelerate this process so that a solution can be implemented as soon as possible.

He pledged to continue to work with Deputy Claire Kerrane and the local community to press for a solution and to prevent further devastation to the area in question.

Deputy Claire Kerrane said: “I would call on the NPWS to engage on the ground. It is essential that the solution on the table is progressed without any further delay. Families affected by this long-running issue have to come first. This has gone on for far too long”.

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