Concerns voiced about Donegal Town Flood Relief Scheme from River Eske danger

Councillor Noel Jordan expressed his concerns about the Donegal Town Flood Relief Scheme, commenting that some residents in Donegal Town were “very disturbed” by the risk of their homes flooding from the River Eske.

The comments were made at September’s Donegal District Meeting as councillors were reviewing a report on the Flood Relief Scheme Unit with the Donegal Town Flood Relief Scheme. 

It was reported that an 18-month pilot scheme for the Donegal Town Flood Relief Scheme had formally commenced in September 2024, and that a midterm report on the pilot would be submitted to the ‘steering’ group for the pilot in September.

The report stated: “Data gathering has continued through the summer, with site inspection of rivers and streams around the town ongoing,

“Marketplace research to investigate the latest technology for necessary gathering has been completed, and this knowledge is expected to help succinct procurement and better onsite productivity, ultimately resulting in the best quality data possible.

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“OPW (Office of Public Works) have complete LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) (aerial flood surveys) of the catchment, and the data is currently subject to quality assurance checks.” 

Cllr Jordan responded to the report, as he said: “I am concerned about the Donegal Town flood relief scheme. Now it is nearly two years since it was announced, and it looks like we are still gathering data during the summer.

“People are very disturbed, and we are trying to explain how this works with the scheme and the stakeholders. 

“We need somebody to come in. We have a small report here. We need somebody to come in and sit down exactly where we are. 

“We were granted the scheme for Donegal Town, and nothing has happened, and that is frightening. We need somebody to explain when we can see work down the river. We are building quite a large number of houses in Donegal Town, and that is going to put extra pressure on that river. 

“I don’t want to go back to a couple of years ago and witness a storm event, and see toys floating on the flows. It wrecks people’s lives.”