Responses with regard to Lough Funshinagh

Over the last number of days I have received a number of Dáil replies along with a reply from the GSI.

I’m also attaching a copy of a statement which I have issued following my engagement with the Ministers concerned and raising issues with regard to Minister Ryan’s reply.

I have also spoken directly with the Chairman of the OPW impressing on him the urgent need for action on the ground.

I’ll keep you updated on any further news I receive.

Denis

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For Written Answer on : 21/01/2021
Question Number(s): 30 Question Reference(s): 3432/21
Department: Environment, Climate and Communications
Asked by: Denis Naughten T.D.
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QUESTION

[Ref No.: 3432/21]

* To ask the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 16 of 14 January 2021, if the rainfall data over the past decade is a more accurate indicator of future rainfall in view of projections of more significant rainfall particularly in the west of Ireland due to climatic changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. – Denis Naughten.

* For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 21st January, 2021.

(949 Received on 8th December, 2020.)

REPLY

The Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) has been advised by Met Eireann – Ireland’s National Meteorological Service – that international best practice supports the use of longer reference periods to most accurately capture long-term climate variability. A minimum length of 20 years is generally recommended – for example, the upcoming report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will use the period 1995 – 2014 and the World Meteorological Organisations recommends 30 years.

Reference periods of 1980 – 2000 or 1980 – 2020 are commonly used both internationally and in Ireland. However, for the purposes of the GSI flood maps, with advice from Met Eireann and working with the Office of Public Works, these periods are extended forwards and backwards to capture a broader range of weather events which have impacted turloughs. As such, the reference period includes flooding that occurred within the last decade up to and including late 2019. I therefore have no plans to change the reference period.

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For Written Answer on : 21/01/2021
Question Number(s): 106,102,104 Question Reference(s): 3440/21, 3259/21, 3431/21
Department: Public Expenditure and Reform
Asked by: Denis Naughten T.D.
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QUESTION

* To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the funding provided by the OPW for the construction of a bund around a family home at Lough Funshinagh, County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

– Denis Naughten T.D.

For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 21 January, 2021.

* To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the meeting of the Minister for the OPW with the Minister for Agriculture with regard to Lough Funshinagh County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

– Denis Naughten T.D.

For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 21 January, 2021.

* To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 80 of 14 January 2021, if he can justify the spending of the minor works flood mitigation scheme funds in view of the fact that the last minor works to construct a flood embankment was a failure and lead to the relocation of the family; if he is of the view that a minor works flood mitigation scheme application is an appropriate scheme to deal with rising ground waters rather than fluvial flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

– Denis Naughten T.D.

For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 21 January, 2021.

REPLY

I are very aware of the significant impact on communities and distress arising from flooding and the continuing risk of flooding. I have seen at first hand the impact of flooding on people and their homes and farms and I convey my deepest sympathy to all of those in the area who are being affected by flooding and the risk of flooding from Lough Funshinagh. Following severe flooding during the winter of 2015/2016, Roscommon County Council applied, in 2018, to the Office of Public Works (OPW) for funding to undertake a study at Lough Funshinagh and its environs under the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. Funding approval in the amount of €72,000 was given and Roscommon County Council subsequently appointed Malachy Walsh and Partners to carry out this commission. Funding for this type of exploratory work is important to identify possible engineering solutions that meet the environmental and economic requirements in advance of progressing with engineering solutions.

A range of flood mitigation options have been considered for Lough Funshinagh. It was determined that the options were not economically or environmentally sustainable. I am advised that the current high water levels, while rare, are within the naturally occurring range. There is no evidence to suggest that the flooding was due to an abnormal decrease in the outflow rate from the Lough other than that due to possible seasonal variation in the subsurface water level.

I am advised by my Office that the OPW did not provide funding for works at the property referred to by the Deputy, I understand these works may have been carried out by Roscommon County Council.

Where no engineering solution is planned or possible for a property that was worst affected by the flooding events in 2015/2016, the Government has approved to offer humanitarian assistance to assist families relocate their primary residence. Accordingly, those property-owners in the locality of the Lough who have applied for the Government’s Voluntary Homeowners Relocation Scheme are being advanced through this Scheme.

I met with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D. and officials yesterday. We are very aware of the significant impact on the communities that flooding and the risk of flooding on Lough Funshinagh is having. I and my colleague discussed the issues in relation to Lough Funshinagh and continue to monitor the situation.

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For Written Answer on : 21/01/2021
Question Number(s): 105 Question Reference(s): 3439/21
Department: Public Expenditure and Reform
Asked by: Denis Naughten T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans for the opening to the public of the recently refurbished tower by the OPW at Roscommon Castle; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

I am delighted to confirm that refurbishment and access works to the south-facing tower of Roscommon Castle overlooking the town park have now been completed. This 13^th Century Castle is an important National Monument and visitor attraction for the area. The timber overlay steps to protect the original ancient stone stairway and provide safe access were individually sized and crafted by the OPW skilled carpenters and apprentices at the National Monuments Athenry Workshops and the discrete safety handrail was supplied by a local engineering firm. This project was part of a coordinated development with Roscommon County Council who extended visitor parking and provided flood lighting for the Castle and I would like to acknowledge their assistance and support.

For health and safety reasons, visitors to the recently refurbished south west tower of Roscommon Castle must be accompanied. OPW expects to partner with the Roscommon Community Tourist Volunteer Group to assist with this and it is hoped, at this stage, that visitors can access the tower about Easter this year. This is dependent on a number of matters not least of which might be Covid 19 pandemic requirements at that time.

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For Written Answer on : 21/01/2021
Question Number(s): 139 Question Reference(s): 3428/21
Department: Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Asked by: Denis Naughten T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 99 of 14 January 2021, if he will review the scientific basis for not supporting the construction of an overflow outfall for the Lough Funshinagh turlough given that Lough Funshinagh is one of the most significant sites of its type in the EU which is a priority habitat and in view of projections of more significant rainfall, particularly in the west of Ireland due to climatic changes which will have a detrimental impact of the unique hydrology of this particular turlough; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

I am acutely aware of the difficulties being faced by householders in the local area with respect to the threat of flooding at Lough Funshinagh. Policy and its implementation concerning flood risk management is primarily the responsibility of the Office of Public Works and the local authority and I understand that they have considered the options available. In the context of the designation and the emergency nature of relief works needed, as in all cases such as this, my Department’s National Parks and Wildlife Service stands ready to address that dimension, on request from those authorities.

QUESTION

REPLY

For Written Answer on : 21/01/2021
Question Number(s): 495 Question Reference(s): 3258/21
Department: Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Asked by: Denis Naughten T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if he will report on his meeting with the Minister for the OPW with regard to Lough Funshinagh County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

I met yesterday with Minister Patrick O’Donovan, Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, and including a number of his officials. We are very aware of the significant impact on the communities that flooding is having, including in relation to Lough Funshinagh. I will continue to engage with the Minister in relation to this situation.

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For Written Answer on : 21/01/2021
Question Number(s): 510 Question Reference(s): 3429/21
Department: Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Asked by: Denis Naughten T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 245 of 14 January 2021, when he expects to have completed his consideration of the evaluation in view of the fact that his predecessor commenced this consideration over two years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine instigated a feasibility study for a scheme for the voluntary relocation of farmyards. This work is being carried out within the terms of the Inter-departmental Flood Policy Group and will be concluded shortly.

My Department continues to monitor the situation in relation to the floods of farmland in general and farmyards where it arises.

Sent: 25 January 2021 09:21
To: Denis Naughten <Denis.Naughten@oireachtas.ie>

In response to questions raised

It is true that our data shows that Funshinagh has a greater capacity to flood than it does to drain. However, this is true for all turloughs and it is one of their defining characteristics. The important factor to note is that they do not operate at their full capacity all year. Their drainage typically exceeds their flooding for long stretches during the spring and summer. Most turloughs have inflow potential of between two to three times that of their outflow, whereas at Funshinagh is approximately five times. While this is on the high end of the inflow/outflow spectrum, it is not unique. For example we find similar conditions other turloughs such as Blackrock turlough in Co. Galway or Ardkill in Co. Mayo.

The common factor among these high in/out ratio turloughs is that they often have streams feeding them. This means that the inflow is unrestricted whereas the outflow is. However it should be noted that the outflow restriction is usually not the swallow hole itself, it is the natural groundwater system that the swallow hole feeds into. The groundwater system is likely to be saturated and cannot accept more water (in some cases this actually causes water to discharge from the swallow hole rather than drain into it).

Our data tells us that Funshinagh can generally fills at up to approx. 2.5m3/s during the filling season (with short term spikes of up to 4.5 m3/s). The drainage rate during recession periods is typically approx. 0.5m3/s (with short term spikes of up to 2.7 m3/s). These values, which have been consistent since we commenced monitoring in 2016, are high but within the normal range of turloughs. What sets Funshinagh apart is its size. Even though Funshinagh can drain faster than most other turloughs, it has much more water to process and as such it is much slower. It is so slow that it normally doesn’t empty before it commences filling again. This means it doesn’t get to reset it’s flood pattern each year like most other turloughs do, and as such it more vulnerable to weather events as their impacts can carry over from one year to the next. This is what we believe is currently happening at Funshinagh (we’re also seeing it at Glenamaddy which didn’t empty in 2020 either). The levels in are still impacted by the extreme rainfall in Winter 2015/2016 which flooded the turlough with an unprecedented volume of water. This volume of water, combined with Funshinaghs natural slow drainage capacity, has resulted in consistent above normal levels which were unfortunately further compounded by heavy rainfall in February 2020. The subsequent relatively wet summer and autumn has meant that the turlough did not get a long recession period to recover from the winter floods as it did following the floods in 2016.

If you would like to view our data it is available at https://gwlevel.ie/. We have been collecting groundwater flooding data since 2016 when Deputy Naughten was the Minister with responsibility for our Department. Details of that work is available here – https://www.gsi.ie/en-ie/programmes-and-projects/groundwater/activities/groundwater-flooding/Pages/default.aspx . Going forward we will be continuing to collect data at flood prone turloughs while also shifting our focus to climate change and how it will impact groundwater flooding (and groundwater drought).

Regards,

Ted McCormack

Ted McCormack BEng, MSc, PhD, CEng MIEI Senior Geologist Groundwater

Geological Survey Ireland, Beggars Bush, Haddington Road, Dublin D04 K7X4, Ireland.

T 0871752475 E Ted.McCormack@gsi.ie www.gsi.ie

A division of the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment.

Press release

Monday 25^th January 2021

Urgent intervention needed on Lough Funshinagh flooding – Naughten

Local TD Denis Naughten has again been in communication with the Minister for the Office of Public Works, Patrick O’Donovan TD, and Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue TD, seeking their urgent intervention on the rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground at Lough Funshinagh.

“Water levels are now 9cm higher than the historic high-water mark set in April 2020 and as I pointed out in Dáil Éireann during a debate on the turlough recently, the lough will not reach its seasonal peak until March,” stated Denis Naughten.

“While I understand that both Ministers had constructive engagement last week when they held a meeting on the issues relating to Lough Funshinagh, it is imperative that we now see movement on the issues I highlighted on the floor of the Dáil.

“We need a comprehensive solution to the issues and not a piecemeal approach which would see home by home or farmyard by farmyard relocated over a prolonged period of time.

“I’m also disappointed to receive confirmation from Minister Eamon Ryan TD that while a 20-year reference period is being used for his international negotiations on climate change, he is sticking to a 70-year model for rainfall in the vicinity of Lough Funshinagh.

“This is disappointing in light of the fact that the last 20 years have been the wettest on record and all of the climate scientists are telling us that we will see more and heavier rainfall over the decades to come.

“Clearly this is what is being experienced on the ground by families and farmers in the vicinity of Lough Funshinagh and needs to be reflected in the flood forecast modelling,” concluded Denis Naughten.

ENDS.

Editor’s Note:

Written answers

Thursday, 21 January 2021

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Flood Risk Management

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)

To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 16 of 14 January 2021, if the rainfall data over the past decade are a more accurate indicator of future rainfall in view of projections of more significant rainfall particularly in the west of Ireland due to climatic changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3432/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)

The Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) has been advised by Met Eireann – Ireland’s National Meteorological Service – that international best practice supports the use of longer reference periods to most accurately capture long-term climate variability. A minimum length of 20 years is generally recommended – for example, the upcoming report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will use the period 1995 – 2014 and the World Meteorological Organisations recommends 30 years.

Written answers

Thursday, 14 January 2021

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Flood Risk Management

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)

To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 237 of 10 November 2020, if, in view of the fact that the turlough is now 1.75 m higher than on 6 January 2020, he will request Geological Survey Ireland using the data collected to date to produce an updated flood risk map for Funshinagh, County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2052/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)

Geological Survey Ireland’s flood mapping at Lough Funshinagh is based on a mathematical model which relates rainfall to water level. The model is calibrated using water level data from 2016 to 2019. Then, using this model, the flood map is created with rainfall data from the last 70 years which determines the probability of various flood levels occurring in the future. Current data indicates that the relationship between rainfall and water level at Lough Funshinagh has not altered. While the rainfall in 2020 was above average, remodelling with the inclusion of data from 2020 is only one additional year to the 70 already incorporated. Any alteration to the flood map would be negligible and the current flood map is therefore considered appropriate.