Lough Funshinagh is a designated special area of conservation turlough and has experienced increasingly severe flooding in recent years. Roscommon County Council has implemented temporary flood defences, including road raising and water level management. The council is being supported by an expert working group comprising representatives from the Office of Public Works, OPW, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Geological Survey Ireland. The group has concluded that the lough is not draining as it used to and that this, in part, is the cause of flooding and is also a risk to the ecological status of this area of conservation. To address this, the council has developed a three-pronged approach, including the provision of individual property protection for those properties at flood risk, which includes TrapBags installed at selected locations around the lough. The OPW has approved funding of €529,000 for the provision of these measures. Due to the significant flooding that occurred in the spring of 2024, the development of an interim flood relief scheme became the primary focus in advance of the permanent scheme. The €5.2 million interim scheme includes a temporary pipeline and pumping station for over-ground pumping of water from the lough to a discharge point on the Cross river. Planning permission for this scheme was received from An Bórd Pleanála in January of this year, with the pumps activated in March. As of 12 May, thee pumps were deactivated in accordance with the parameters outlined in the planning application until water levels in the lough begin to rise again. Roscommon County Council has been stopped on two occasions, by means of judicial reviews, from completing emergency permanent works to reduce water levels back to normal. The council, with funding from the OPW, is currently progressing the Lough Funshinagh climate adaptation project. The studies and assessments that have been completed for the interim flood scheme are applicable to the permanent scheme. Roscommon County Council-----

Sentiment score: 0.02

I will come back in.

Sentiment score: 0.00

I acknowledge and appreciate all the work that has been done, particularly by the people and those in the farming community who live around Lough Funshinagh. It was great to go down there to switch on the pumps. It is great now to see the work on the interim solution coming to fruition, particularly as I was involved with the work on it when I was in government previously. The long-term solution is on target for planning by the end of the year. As the Deputy knows, we had a consultation day in County Roscommon, which was very well attended. It is very important to get people to attend such events because we can iron out the issues and problems that may be foreseen. As stated, we are on target. This is a good-news story for the people of Lough Funshinagh. I have visited the householders there on a number of occasions. Even when I was not in government and out of politics, I still called at Christmas to see people. I have seen the devastation, etc., at first hand and have tried for years to find a solution. We now have a solution. The Deputy is right; we need the permanent solution. We are on target to deliver that, so it is good work all around by everybody.

Sentiment score: 0.28

I appreciate everything the Deputy said. She is on the ground and knows exactly what she is talking about. She knows more than those of us who are in government. The pressure came from the Taoiseach to the Tánaiste right down to every Minister who had a role in this. As I said, delivering the scheme is important. I do not know if the Deputy had time to go and visit, but the day we turned on the pumps, it was great to see the local farming community and particularly the people who had suffered most - the families whose houses were affected - and see the excitement on their faces knowing that Government had listened and delivered on what they wanted. However, the final piece is the permanent solution. As I said to the Deputy, the meetings we have had to date show that we are very much on track to deliver that. I live only a stone's throw across the water. It was a very proud day for me because I have so many friends and relations who live down there. Seeing the smiles on people's faces is what we are about. I went into government to ensure delivery of major projects such as this and to give people peace of mind.

Sentiment score: 0.28

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 9 together. The launch in 2018 of the flood risk management plans trebled, to some 100, the number of flood relief schemes at design and construction. There remain some 50 schemes, referred to as tranche II, yet to commence work on their design, due to constraints of professional engineering services and skills in Ireland. However, the Government is committed to funding these projects through the €1.3 billion available under the national development plan for flood relief measures. Cork County Council is leading the delivery of six flood relief schemes, including Midleton, with nine tranche II schemes, including Castlemartyr, Youghal and Rathcormac. The OPW is funding nine staff in Cork County Council to support its delivery of this programme of schemes, and other schemes across the county, including in Mogeely and Killeagh. The OPW is piloting a new delivery model in counties Donegal and Kilkenny to inform delivery of future tranche II schemes nationally. The Midleton flood relief scheme, to protect up to 750 properties, is currently estimated to be submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála in early 2026 and for substantial completion in 2031. A planning application for advance works at Tir Cluain, to protect 111 of these properties, is scheduled for submission as a Part 8 application later this year with construction planned to commence in late summer-early autumn 2026. Cork County Council has begun to engage with landowners on environmental surveys and assessments required to inform the environmental impact assessment report. The council has completed a number of interim flood defence works in Midleton since Storm Babet in October 2023. Cork County Council progressed interim flood mitigation measures for Rathcormac, Castlemartyr and Killeagh and is liaising with the Office of Public Works on interim measures for Mogeely. In October 2024, the OPW approved €5.8 million in funding for Cork County Council to make individual property protection available free of charge to home and business owners in Midleton and across east Cork who were impacted by Storm Babet in October 2023. This included retrospective payment to property owners who had purchased suitable individual property protection, IPP, measures between 18 October 2023 to 7 October 2024. Following a review of all applications there were 725 valid applications. Cork County Council is, since April 2025, delivering flood barriers to properties where no civil works is required. The council is fully aware of the urgent nature of this unprecedented project and is constrained by the response from the market for supply of flood barriers and civil works contractors. Cork County Council and the OPW are keeping the delivery of IPP under review. Cork County Council has advised that the standard height of barrier being delivered under this scheme is 680 mm which is the accepted industry standard height for flood barriers. This is in line with best practice guidance from the United Kingdom to avoid potential structural damage to properties. No review of the scheme’s criteria is being considered. A quarterly update to elected representatives, members of the business community and the wider community by Cork County Council on the Midleton flood relief scheme and individual property protection scheme is taking place today, 17 July 2025.

Sentiment score: 0.21

I thank the Deputy. The Taoiseach and I visited Midleton and met the people there. I always say in the House that from start to finish, a scheme takes 11 years. It is very hard for people to accept this, particularly when their houses and businesses have been flooded. I understand well the areas in Midleton and the pressures on them. With regard to the other areas in question, I am making changes to the minor works scheme and looking at other areas where we can provide funding to the local authority to help to try speed it up under tranche II. We announced the scheme back in 2018 and I will give the Deputy a picture of where we are at today. We have more than 100 schemes at various stages in the planning and construction, which was an enormous move in terms of the Government protecting the people at risk of flooding. In recent months, we have gone from five schemes to 13 with machines on the ground and two more to come at the end of the year. We are about to make changes to minor works scheme where local authorities will be able to come to my Department and speed up the delivery of some of these schemes in tranche II. I hope to be able to deliver for those people in question with the minor works scheme. On the Deputy's question on calling to the areas, I would say we are looking at approximately two to three weeks. I am probably the only Minister in the House who is under heavy demand. I am everywhere and anywhere but I like to visit people and to see the problems first hand. I am familiar with some of the areas the Deputy spoke about but we will meet the people on the ground to give assurances that Government is there to help and it will do whatever it can, and I know my Department is doing that. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Chambers, has been very supportive in the recent talks relating to providing funding. Government is very much to the fore in respect of flooding right across the country.

Sentiment score: 0.19

I thank Deputy McCarthy. I know the pressures he is under as an elected representative, as is everyone in this House. I was in this role before and I know the run of the Department but there are still constraints that do not allow us to deliver the schemes as fast as humanly possible. In regard to Lough Funshinagh, when we went into try to do the work there, we had not dotted our i's or crossed our t's and we ended up with judicial reviews which held back the project for a number of years. We are now in a good place and working together. This is not about politics. People have water up to their knees in their houses and are scared for their lives. We should not use this as a place to beat Government up. Rather, we should work together in the House to deliver for these people because we know too well the suffering they are going through at this time.

Sentiment score: -0.04