Call for special allocation of funding for drainage

Cllr Mary Bohan noted that Ireland has had one of the wettest year on record at the latest Leitrim County Council meeting where she proposed that Leitrim County Council call on the Government to provide a special allocation of funding for drainage in Leitrim.
She said in particular, at Corrasra on the R280 and areas around the Bonet river.
She said, “One particular area is on the R280 at Corrastra, Killargue where huge flooding took place and detours were a regular occurrence” before the Bonet Arterial Drainage Scheme.
She said, “When we got that scheme in place, the OPW wouldn't do it and we had to get permission from the attorney general for the council to do it and the council hired private contractors to carry out the work and it was a very successful scheme.”
She said that water levels were with the road again and that, in her view, if something isn't done immediately “we're going to have serious flooding there again.”
She suggested that the department make a specific allocation of funds for drainage through the OPW or “if necessary, the council would be given an allocation of money and given permissions to get a private contractor” to carry out the works.
Cllr Padraig Fallon, who previously proposed that contact be made with Coillte and the OPW seeking drainage at Diffagher River from Lisacoghill back to Belhavel, near Drumkeerin, supported the motion and said funding needs to be made available for works here.
Cllr Des Guckian called for the return of the drainage boards with Cllr Paddy O'Rourke supporting this suggestion.