Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice has welcomed Roscommon County Council’s programme of Flood prevention works in Castleplunkett.
Deputy Fitzmaurice said “There is a warm welcome this week among locals in the Castleplunket area, as Roscommon County Council have committed significant funding to address the serious flooding which occurred last winter, and also in previous winters, in the Castleplunket area”
“I am very happy that Roscommon County Council have found the funding for this vital work to be carried out. Local residents, farmers, businesses and road users were hugely inconvenienced this year when flooding didn’t recede until early June and roads were impassible from January,”
Michael Fitzmaurice continued “It has to be acknowledged that last winter we witnessed unprecedented rainfall and this caused the extreme hardship suffered by locals. However, the news that the Council are now going to future proof the roads in the region to avoid future flooding must also be welcomed. The project, which will address both sections of roadway on the Ballintubber and Tulsk approach roads to Castleplunkett will cost in excess of half a million euro. Hopefully this will mean that the people of the local area and region will not have to suffer as they have in the past”
Wide ranging Plan
Commenting on the detail of the works Michael Fitzmaurice said “The council are planning to build a Bund along the affected roads which will hopefully act as a levy to hold back the flood waters and leave roads passable during the winter months. Appropriate pumping measures are also planned for any surface water which may occur during heavy rainfall. Based on the levels of rainfall last year these plans have been developed and it is expected that the measures being put in place will be successful. There will be a need for the local authority to acquire a small strip of land along the turlough front to facilitate the building of a bund but I would expect local land owners to be co-operative during the negotiation process in order to find a solution to this very serious problem.”
“Roscommon County Council hope to start works in the next few weeks on the flood prevention measures, provided everything goes according to plan which is welcome. Hopes are also high that this winter will see normal life in the locality go uninterrupted because of severe flooding. I want to thank Roscommon County Council for prioritising the Castleplunket area for these badly needed flood prevention works”
“I hope the measures being planned will be sufficient. I fully realise that, there are no guarantees in life and especially with respect of unprecedented climatic change factors, but I am hopeful that based on the conversations I have had with the senior engineers in the council that the works will solve this problem once and for all.This is a good news story and is an example of what can be achieved when the local community, elected representatives and the local authority join their efforts to achieve desired results. I will continue to monitor the situation until these works are fully completed” he concluded