‘People are traumatised’: Leitrim County Council urged to secure funding aimed at flood prevention

Calls have been made for Leitrim County Council to secure funding for scrub clearance due to channel blockages between the bridges at Drumsna and Jamestown, which have been linked to flooding in Carrick-on-Shannon and Leitrim Village.

At January’s meeting of Carrick-on-Shannon Municipal District, Cllr Cormac Flynn, Minister with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) Kevin Moran, called for applications to be made for scrub-clearance funding under the Minor Works Scheme administered by the OPW.

“What steps have been taken by this Council to seek funding for this necessary and overdue work and how soon can work be expected to commence on site?” stated Cllr Flynn’s motion.

In response, the Council explained that details of the scheme have not yet been released. Neither Leitrim nor Roscommon County Councils has received the new circular or policy documentation outlining the proposed changes to the current application process or eligibility criteria. 

Following a recent enquiry, the OPW advised that the revised guidelines will be issued “in the very near future.”

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“This is a very fast flowing bit of the channel but it's not navigable. As a non-navigable part of the river it doesn’t come under the remit of Waterways Ireland. It’s kind of a no man's land,” said Cllr Flynn, stressing that someone has to take ownership of the issue.

He urged that the Council does not allow the matter to “fall between two stools” and ensures funding is applied for in a timely manner, particularly as overgrowth cannot be cleared throughout the year and is restricted to certain months.

“If we miss that window and the money comes in after the window, we’re waiting another 12 months and we’re putting ourselves at the risk of flooding again,” he said.

Cllr Flynn also highlighted the problematic nature of the weir at Jamestown, which he said is at the same level as the river at Rooksey. 

He warned that if water levels rise any higher, the bottom of the gates in the weir effectively become a dam, causing water to backfill towards Carrick-on-Shannon and Leitrim Village.

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“There are people here traumatised by the flooding that occurred years ago and a lot of it was to do with the weir at Jamestown and that narrow channel between the two bridges at Jamestown and Drumsna,” said Cllr Flynn. “It looks like it has fallen on Leitrim County Council to go chasing this money, and if it has, we need to make sure the money is chased.”

The motion was seconded by Cllr Maeve Reynolds, who asked that the Council consider all available funding avenues and ensure that, where funding exists, full use is made of it, with the maximum possible amount drawn down and contractors employed as necessary to ensure the work is completed.