Roscommon County Council and the Office of Public Works have announced the planning application for the permanent flood relief scheme at Lough Funshinagh will now be submitted in the second half of 2026.
The extension follows the identification of additional environmental and technical constraints on the emerging preferred route.
Lough Funshinagh, a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Turlough, has experienced increasingly severe flooding in recent years- resulting in record water levels and significant impacts on local communities.
Individual Property Protection measures were implemented in 2024 and 2025 to safeguard vulnerable dwellings, while an Interim Flood Relief Scheme, approved in January 2025, was completed by April 2025.
This interim scheme now manages lake levels by controlling outflow to the Cross River, which discharges into the River Shannon at Coologoriff, allowing time for a permanent solution to be developed.
Work on designing the permanent scheme recommenced in late 2024, with an original target of submitting a planning application by the end of 2025.
However, following public consultation and further environmental assessments, the consultants identified additional constraints that require a reassessment of all possible options.
Roscommon County Council and the OPW have confirmed that the revised timeline will not increase flood risk for surrounding communities, given the protection provided by the interim works and IPP measures.
Both agencies say they remain committed to delivering a robust, evidence-based plan that can withstand scrutiny through the planning and environmental consent process.
