Sinn Féin TD, Claire Kerrane has called on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) for fodder support following summer flooding that took place at the Shannon Callows.
The deputy said that lands have been “absolutely devastated” by flooding this summer, putting “huge financial pressure” on farmers.
Deputy Kerrane raised the issue with the Tánaiste at a recent dáil debate.
Members of the Save Our Shannon Organisation (SOSO) met with Tánaiste Micheál Martin last month (September 15) to receive an insight into what members of the organisation described as the “plight of the farming families living in the Shannon area”.
According to the chairman of the group, Michael Silke, flood water was 0.61m higher than normal summer levels in both Lough Allen and the area south of Athlone.
Silke said that this “equates to” 7,000ac of land currently under water and destruction of 70,000 to 80,000 bales of silage needed for winter fodder.
He said the callows land was only used for one month this year and added that the summer flood could have been kept within the banks of the River Shannon, “if correct management was implemented”.
Local residents and farmers have been protesting this summer over lack of action to damage caused by the flooding.
The Tánaiste said he would meet with Waterways Ireland on a one-to-one basis on this single issue. He said he will also talk to the ESB.
The Tánaiste said he would meet with the group again for an update before Christmas.
Shannon Callows in the long-term
Deputy Kerrane said fodder support would help farmers in the “short-term”, but that in the longer term, “a single agency” was needed for managing the River Shannon.
“We cannot keep allowing flooding to devastate farmers’ homes and lands over and over again. I ask for an update on the legislation,” Deputy Kerrane said.
The SOSO and the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has also called for a single management agency.
The Shannon Flood Risk State Agency Co-ordination Working Group was established in 2016 by the government as a single agency to enhance ongoing cooperation across state agencies involved with the River Shannon.
Partners of the group include: Bord na Mona; OPW; ESB; Irish Water; National Parks and Wildlife (NPWS); Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the County and City Management Association; and Waterways Ireland.
The group is currently progressing a number of collaborative initiatives including:
- Developing a long-term strategic maintenance programme to halt the deterioration of the Shannon;
- Identifying short-term targeted maintenance activities for individual locations;
- Trialing the lowering of the levels on Lough Allen;
- Assessing further possible measures to address flood risk on the Shannon Callows.
The group has met on 10 occasions to date, and has conducted an audit of the roles and responsibilities of state agency organisations.
Members from the SOSO have written to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine three times, but said there has been no reply.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin met with the minister, and said his “understanding is that work is still ongoing in respect of the legislation”.