Residents at Lough Funshinagh in south Roscommon say there won't be much relief from the pressure of potential flooding until water is actually being piped from the former turlough.
Roscommon County Council has proposed a drainage programme to lower the levels of the turlough by installing a new pipe over the next 12 weeks.
The local authority expects to remove excess water over the following 39 days to reduce the level of the lake by just 540mm.
Local resident Padraig Beattie says he can't get too optimistic just yet.
This is the second attempt at the works, after a court injunction to stop the larger scale programme and permanent solution.
The High Court upheld the case put to it by Friends of hte Irish Environment that the project did not have the required planning permisison or environmental reports to comply with EU directives.
On Let's Talk today Councillor Laurence Fallon was asked if the public can have confidence in the council assuarances that these works do not require the approval of An Bord Pleanala or any other body.
