By Chris Ashmore
DONEGAL County Council is set to contact the Office for Public Works in relation to flooding issues, including who is responsible for clearing drains.
At the monthly meeting of Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District Council, Cllr. Michael McBride tabled a motion calling on the local authority to work with the OPW and to “clean all the drains and streams running to the River Lennon in the Trentagh area” in a bid to relieve the constant flooding on roads nearby.
Cllr. McBride spoke about problems with drains being silted up and filled with fallen branches. However, he noted that there was uncertainty about who is responsible and whether you need permission from the OPW to clear drains.
Aware of the fact that some of the river has special status for its pearl mussel beds, he pointed out that parts of the river have no gravel beds and he felt that drainage works there would not do any harm, and could help alleviate the flooding problem.
Cllr Ciaran Brogan, supporting his motion, mentioned a case where someone who did a clean up of their lands was taken to court by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Regarding who is responsible for drainage works, he felt they should have a special workshop with the OPW and NPWS OPM over issues and “to see who can do what.”
He also called on the Council to invite Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, to visit the county.
In an official response, Senior Executive Roads Engineer, David McIlwaine, said that the OPW has a remit to maintain infrastructure designated as part of arterial drainage schemes under an Act dating from 1945.
By way of example, he singled out the River Swilly embankments running from New Mills to Letterkenny.
However, outside of the arterial drainage schemes, the OPW does not complete drainage maintenance works on behalf of private individuals or other State bodies.
He added: “Donegal County Council does not undertake drainage maintenance on behalf of private landowners, and only ever intervenes in watercourses where there is damage to bridges, culverts and storm drainage.”
He concluded by stating that channel maintenance is the responsibility of landowners who have water courses on their lands. The OPW has produced a booklet “Living Near Watercourses” which acts as a guide.
Related posts:
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)