OPW Minister to meet with locals this morning on Lough Funshinagh project

OPW minister Kieran O’Donnell will visit the county this morning to meet with locals and public representatives to discuss planned works at Lough Funshinagh.

Planning permission for a temporary pumping solution at the Lough was granted last week by An Bord Pleanála.

Permission was granted for a 24-month period, with nine planning conditions. The proposal, which will see an overground pipe go 2.4km from the lake to the Cross River, was submitted in September 2024. 

The board found that the development “would not have significant negative effects on the environment or the community in the vicinity” in Carrick. 

Among the conditions is for the council to hire an ecologist and fluvial geomorphologist to oversee the site’s set-up, construction, and decommissioning. They will report on completion of the works in the interests of the conservation and biodiversity.