Eugene Cummins rejects FIE contempt claim in flood works case

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Roscommon County Council chief executive Eugene Cummins rejected Friends of the Irish Environment’s contempt of court claim when the High Court case was mentioned on 29 October 2021. FIE’s claim concerned the council’s flood relief pipeline works near Lough Funshinagh.

FIE said the council had failed to meet obligations under a remediation plan agreed after earlier proceedings. The council’s settlement had included orders quashing its decision to permit the works and remediating the affected land.

In a sworn statement, Cummins said several phases of the plan were complete, while others were substantially or partially complete. He said adverse weather, the need to identify an approved waste facility, and dependencies between remaining phases had delayed completion.

Cummins also maintained that the court order and remediation plan did not require the installed pipework to be removed or prevent its future use. Justice Garrett Simons adjourned the matter for a hearing on Tuesday, 2 November 2021, and said Cummins did not need to attend.