An independent TD has said that delays to legislation to establish a single management authority for the River Shannon is particularly insulting to farmers and landowners in the Shannon Callows.
Deputy Carol Nolan said the bill to establish the agency has been included in the list of government’s priority legislation for 2021, 2022, as well as the summer and spring priority list in 2023.
The independent TD raised the matter during again during a recent meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
“At this stage of the process it is unclear if government has any real intention to advance this bill at all.
“Is there serious internal opposition to the bill? Is there an attempt to simply appease or fob off campaigners and farmers? We need to know what exactly is happening here,” she said.
River Shannon
Deputy Nolan welcomed a decision by the government to compensate farmers impacted by recent flooding in the Shannon Callows.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue recently announced a scheme to assist farmers who have lost fodder due to exceptional flooding in the area.
Payments will be made at a rate of €325/ha for farmers affected by fodder loss and will be paid on a minimum of 1ha and a maximum of 15ha.
However, Deputy Nolan said there “is still room for improvement in the offer that government has put on the table” and called for further engagement on this point.
“There is also an urgent need for Inland Waterways and ESB to provide substantial and meaningful engagement around the opening of its gates in advance of impending rainfall,” the TD said.
“We need clarity from government on the River Shannon Management bill, and if it is serious about introducing it then we need a firm timeline for when the bill will be presented to us.
“Telling us it is a ‘priority’ while it continues to languish in the legislative labyrinth is just insulting,” Deputy Nolan said.