Fianna Fail TD Eugene Murphy has hit out at the CFRAM plans which were on display in Roscommon Town and Athleague last week as being completely out of touch with the views and knowledge of local people.
Eugene Murphy said “In my opinion the CFRAM studies in Athleague and Roscommon are completely out of touch with the layman’s language and views and they have not tapped into the considerable knowledge which exists in the affected area. The millions of euro laid out for works in Roscommon Town and Athleague village in my view won’t solve the problem of flooding and this money could be better spent by taking the views of the local people on board.
The study does not appear to address the issues around the Bridge in Athleague and locals will tell you that if bigger culverts and remedial works are addressed it would practically alleviate the danger of flooding which caused so much worry and disruption in Athleague in recent years. The by-pass at Tubbervaddy also needed to be opened to provide flood relief,” said Deputy Murphy.
The Fianna Fail Deputy said that issues surrounding the River Jiggy at the Railway bridge in Roscommon Town needed to be addressed and he also highlighted the fact that the sewer pipes which cross the river Jiggy are encased in concrete and are causing an obstruction and would need to reconfigured while the river would also need to be widened. When water rises to a certain level it has to rise another 375mm before there is an increase in the flow – causing a back flow. It is also vital that the culvert under the railway line is restored to its original dimensions,” said Eugene Murphy.
The public can view the draft Flood Risk Management Plans for the county here. The public consultation period will close at 5.30pm on Friday September 23rd.