A Co Roscommon community fears that some residents could face homelessness in the coming weeks as flooding at Lough Funshinagh is higher than it has ever been at this time of year.
With unprecedented rainfall levels and a problem draining, Lough Funshinagh is at the highest level it has ever been at this time of year.
It is understood that Roscommon County Council this afternoon advised one or two families that they will be putting flood-defence sandbags on the road outside their homes in Ballagh at Lough Funshinagh ahead of the expected rising water levels.
As this will close the road, the Council has advised them to move out as a precautionary measure.
Earlier this month, the Council said as levels continue to rise due to climate change and unprecedented rainfall, there are concerns that levels may reach a point where local defence measures will no longer be adequate.
Residents in the small community around the area are struggling to survive and living in fear of homes flooding.
Elderly couple Edward John and Teresa Beattie already had to evacuate for 11 months in 2021. The road outside their home has been raised multiple times and pumps are operating around the clock to keep rising flood waters away.
Mr Beattie said it is "not very nice" worrying about what might happen and Storm Isha last weekend brought renewed fears.
"You're worrying the whole time, Sunday evening now the water was very high at the wall there. I thought it would come in on the floor," said Mr Beattie.
His wife is just as concerned; "It's very frightening at times," she said.
The house next door is owned by Mary Beattie, her driveway is deeply flooded and she said it is the worst she has ever seen it.
"It's sickening, that's what is it, it would get you down. The driveway is blocked and the worst of it is that it's dangerous for the grandkids," said Ms Beattie.
"What can you do? You have to live with it as long as you can and put up with it, we have no choice.
"We can't go anywhere, we have animals in the shed, cows to calf, sheep to lamb, we have to stay and protect them. It's our livelihood."
Five houses around Lough Funshinagh are at risk of flooding. One other house that flooded in 2021 was abandoned and demolished.
In 2021, efforts to install an overflow pipe by Roscommon County Council using emergency powers were halted following a successful legal action by the Friends of the Irish Environment who warned it could cause "unintended and catastrophic" ecological impacts.
Earlier this month the council said that due to the High Court challenge taken by Friends of the Irish Environment against Roscommon County Council, flood relief works that would have protected homes, property and public infrastructure in the general vicinity of the lake cannot be completed and no new works can be undertaken.
They were not available for comment this week.
Friends of the Irish Environment have rejected this allegation saying if the council had proceeded with their original plans, works could be proceeding now.
Currently the council and Office of Public Works (OPW) are operating local defence measures, pumping water, raising roads and installing boulders and barriers.
Independent Roscommon County Councillor, Laurence Fallon, said there is no doubt we are getting a different pattern of rainfall now than we used to get ten or 15 years ago, falling much quicker in much bigger bursts.
He believes a permanent solution is needed urgently.
"Our issue is that its not going to go away and it cannot got away. There was a view in 2015 and 2016 that this was a cyclical thing and it would rectify itself by many people. That has now been totally discredited," said Cllr Fallon.
"What we are trying to do now as a county council, working with the local people here, is to see if a new plan can be put in place, that in some way tries to accommodate the issues raised by the objecting group, and bringing another application to An Bord Pleanála to try to complete the overflow pipe."
The OPW has more than €1 billion in funding for approximately 100 projects around the country, but delays in environmental assessments, planning and securing experts, as well as interpretation of EU and national environmental laws are all part of the problem.
Independent TD for Roscommon-Galway, Denis Naughten, believes more clarity is needed for works like this to be carried out.
"I believe what the Government should do is ask the Law Reform Commission to review all of the existing regulations, directives and legislation that impede the progression of flood relief measures across the country.
"Look at where there are ambiguities in relation to that and have the law clarified and come forward with a consolidated piece of legislation, a single law that would deal with all of the environmental assessments that need to be carried out, all the hoops that projects need to go through in a single piece of legislation, rather than having these cases be dealt with on an individual basis, before the courts through judicial review, which is delaying of many of these projects across the country," said Mr Naughten.
The community living around Lough Funshinagh has been there for generations, it was not built on a floodplain.
With fears for expected high rainfall over the next three months, residents do not know what to expect.
For some it could prove inconvenient, if a link road to Athlone that is predicted to flood closes, hundreds of people including farmers and school children could have to travel up to 15 kilometres to make what should be short local journeys.
But for residents of the five houses on the edge of the lake, there is growing concern that becoming homeless could become a reality.
