Severe flooding outside Laois housing estate to be tackled in new year

Road works are due to commence outside a Graiguecullen housing estate in the new year following delays due to complications with high pressure gas mains in the area.

Severe flooding at the entrance of Tommy Murphy Park housing estate has caused difficulties for residents and road users for quite some time now, with local councillors bringing the issue to the attention of Laois County Council.

At the December meeting of the Graiguecullen / Portarlington MD, Councillor Ben Brennan raised the issue with the council which he described as "very serious."

Cllr Brennan told the council that flooding can reach up to 5 and 6 inches at times and people living in Tommy Murphy Park and the surrounding estates are forced to walk through it.

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Cllr Vivienne Phelan supported the motion, saying that many residents have complained about the problem. She said that because the issue is in Graiguecullen that it is a case of "out of sight, out of mind" for the council. Cllr Phelan added: "This wouldn't be acceptable in Portlaoise."

Laois County Council's Senior Executive Engineer, Tom Drennan, told the councillors that the council has carried out a CCTV drain investigation which has revealed that the existing pipeline network adjoining percolation has reached the end of its service life. 

He added: "Remedial civil works are required, specifically involving the installation of new piping to connect the road gullies to the existing storm drainage system located at the entrance to Tommy Murphy Park Estate."

Drennan said that Laois County Council has engaged with Gas Networks Ireland and the work is hoped to start in the new year.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme