A farming leader today called for major investment in flood protection after parts of the country again suffered flooding today after heavy rains overnight.
Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) Connacht vice president Michael Silke said the flooding indicated Minister of State Noel Ahern's flood management plans were "the work of a Minister who is out of touch with issues outside his own constituency in Dublin".
The IFA's leader in the west said Mr Ahern was "treating farmers and rural people with contempt because of a failure to implement a national river maintenance and flood protection programme".
He called for a substantial programme of flood provision and river maintenance to avoid the hardship that he said has been inflicted on farmers in the past.
Rain flooded roads across Northern Ireland last night, with Down, Armagh and Fermanagh particularly badly affected. Rush-hour traffic was severely delayed on the main Newry-to-Belfast road.
AA Roadwatch warned that driving conditions remain poor in the north west. The N12 Monaghan-to-Armagh Road is closed near Tyholland church due to flooding.
In Leitrim, one lane of the Boyle Road west of Carrick-on-Shannon is blocked. The fire service was called in earlier to clear flooding on the Elfin Road at the train station.
There is also bad flooding in Cavan on the Ballinamore Road to Killeshandra.
Met Éireann said the rain will gradually clear but will persist for longer over the north of the country.
This afternoon will be brighter and drier, although there will still be some showers.