Leitrim river needs to be cleaned in order to avoid flooding of lands and astro turf pitch

Cllr Gary Prior asked Leitrim County Council to engage with local landowners to allow the council to "immediately carry out necessary drainage works to clean and maintain the Fohera River in Ballinamore, in order to prevent further flooding of adjoining lands and the Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins GAA playing grounds."

He said: "Especially after that heavy rain that fell in early October; there was substantial flooding in that area."

He was advised that, under OPW Arterial Drainage Act 1945, the council carry out general maintenance on prescribed drainage channels, which includes the Fohera River.

The response continued that the council receive a small amount of funding each year to carry out drainage maintenance in the municipal district. "We can look at cleaning the Fohera River under the 2026 funding allocation. Please note Inland Fisheries and landowner approval is required before works can be carried out," the response said.

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Emma Donohoe, district engineer, noted that they "were out of season currently and can't clean rivers because of fisheries legislation. It's a short window and it's to do with the spawning of the fish."

Cllr Prior said that landowners are "happy to allow the river to be cleaned; I raised the issue about Cloone River and again, farmer owners are happy to allow their land to be used to get the river cleaned. The one in Ballinamore; there is a substantial amount of work to do begin there, including an astro pitch so they're quite conscious that flooding wouldn't take place again; it's a huge contract and it were to happen again there would be huge consequences."

He again urged that the works be carried out as soon as possible. 

Cllr Brendan Barry supported the motion and said a river off the Cloone River "is the main one for that house that almost flooded earlier this year. I'm hearing a good few forestry trees have fallen into the river and they're causing issues. It hasn't been cleaned since 2001 or something like that. When you think of a house being at risk of being flooded and the council can't do maintenance because of worries about fish; I think the safety of people's homes should be put first."

Cllr Ita Reynolds-Flynn also supported the motion.