The initial text of the long-awaited River Shannon Management Agency Bill will be brought forward in April, a TD has said.
Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) Patrick O’Donovan provided an update on the legislation in response to a priority oral question in the Dáil from Independent TD Carol Nolan.
The bill has been included in the list of Government’s priority legislation every year since 2021.
The proposed legislation seeks to create a single competent authority to coordinate flood risk and management along the River Shannon.
River Shannon
Deputy Nolan welcomed the update on the legislation following further devastating flooding for farmers along various parts of the River Shannon last year.
Last August, up to 200 farmers protested on a bridge in Banagher, Co. Offaly calling for “proper maintenance” of the River Shannon in their area.
“At long last we have a definitive date for the introduction of this bill, which I very much hope will provide a legislative focal point in terms of addressing the flooding that has bedevilled land right along the Shannon and in particular the Shannon Callows.
“I understand the issue is complex, and that as the minister has indicated the issues are closely intertwined with other uses of the river such as navigation, dam safety and electricity generation, but it really was pushing the limits of credibility to continually see the bill on the ‘priority’ list for the better part of four years now.
“I look forward to continuing my constructive engagement on this matter with the Minister and indeed the OPW, the ESB and all other stakeholders particularly local farmers and landowners,” the Laois Offaly TD said.
Scheme
In November, the government launched the €800,000 Shannon Callows Flood Scheme (SCFS) to support farmers who had lost fodder last summer due to severe flooding in the Shannon Callows region.
Under the scheme, payments would be made at a rate of €325/ha for farmers affected by fodder loss on a minimum of 1ha and a maximum of 15ha.
However, concerns have been recently raised by TDs that farmers with 10ha or more of land impacted by the flooding “have only been paid for a proportion of these lands”.