Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan has been called on to make plans now in order to avoid severe flooding along the River Shannon this winter.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) is calling on Minister O’Donovan, who has responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), to take a preventative approach this winter when managing the river’s water levels, while ensuring that it does not cause problems further downstream.
Pat Murphy, the association’s Connacht regional chairperson, said this evening (Tuesday, November 1) that “action must be taken”.
“There has been a clear increase in rainfall over the past number of weeks and farmers are contacting me worried about the rising water levels and increased risk of flooding.
“We need to highlight the disastrous flooding of 2009 which saw hundreds of farms and farmyards along the River Shannon flooded, resulting in livestock being left without winter housing and serious financial implications for the affected farmers,” Murphy commented.
He added: “We need Minister O’Donovan and the OPW to implement a plan now while the water levels remain below dangerous levels. We cannot have a similar scenario to the flooding in 2009.”
The Connacht IFA chair said that farmers are under enough pressure at the moment “without having to worry about their homes, yards and land being submerged in flooding”.
Murphy has requested a meeting with the minister and the OPW to highlight the concerns of farmers in the regions that may be affected.
In other weather-related news, there is the potential for flooding across the country tomorrow, Met Éireann has warned.
A nationwide Status Yellow wind and rain warning will come into effect from 4:00a.m tomorrow (Wednesday, November 2), and will remain in place until 9:00p.m.
Rain will spread across the western half of the country and it will turn very windy by dawn tomorrow. A spell of heavy rain will occur, leading to flooding in places, and there is a potential for localised wave overtopping along Atlantic coasts.
It will stay very windy or stormy through the afternoon, with rain clearing into the Irish Sea, and a mix of sunny spells and heavy thundery showers following from the west, according to the national forecaster.