The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has called for the government to step in to prevent flooding in the mid-Shannon region.
The association’s Connacht chairperson Pat Murphy said today (Wednesday, August 3) that the synchronised management of the gates in the region is key to managing water levels.
He said that farmers in the area are looking for the Office of Public Works (OPW) to manage the situation on the Shannon by decreasing water levels while ensuring it does not cause problems further downstream.
Murphy was speaking after a delegation from the IFA visited the Shannon Callows area, which lies between Athlone, Co. Westmeath and Portumna, Co. Galway.
“A significant amount of hay and silage has been harvested and the aftergrass is now growing. This aftergrass is vital to the farmers in the callows,” he highlighted.
Murphy noted: “If properly utilised by grazing, it will significantly reduce the demand on fodder in the area for the coming winter.”
The IFA regional chair warned that the localised flooding that can occur around the Shannon Callows may result in the loss of aftergrass.
“The weather in August can be very volatile and can bring significant localised flooding similar to what was witnessed in the northwest last week.
“The opportunity to graze this aftergrass must not be lost due to unnecessary flooding, which could be prevented by proper management of Shannon,” Murphy insisted.
IFA Offaly county executive chairperson Pat Walsh also visited the callows area with Murphy.
Walsh highlighted: “A number of key pinch points identified along the river needs to addressed. The banks of the river haven’t been correctly maintained for many years.
“Silt has been building up on the bed of the river, causing silt islands to form. These silt islands; the vegetation the grows there; and poorly maintained river banks impede the flow of the river which contributes greatly to flooding during periods of high rainfall.”
He stressed: “The River Shannon must be maintained. Fallen trees, overgrown vegetation and silt islands must be removed. These actions would help alleviate the flooding problem by allowing the water levels to reduce without unnecessary restriction.”
The IFA Offaly chair underlined that the flooding on the Shannon is affecting farmers who suffer major losses as a result, and also causes disruption for the businesses in the flooded areas.
IFA Connacht chair Murphy called on Minister of State for responsibility for the OPW, Fine Gael’s Patrick O’Donovan, to “take immediate control of the situation and ensure the water levels are managed appropriately to reduce the risk of flooding”.
“In the longer term, [the government must establish] an agency which would include local farmers to manage the overall Shannon project to rectify the problems and maintain it into the future. This must be established without delay and cannot be put on the long finger,” Murphy concluded.