Up to 200 farmers have protested on a bridge in Banagher, Co. Offaly today (Friday, August 4), calling for “proper maintenance” of the River Shannon in their area.
Farmers affected by the flooding from the River Shannon have been asking for compensation for “hundreds and hundreds” of acres lost in recent weeks.
Local farmers have said they are facing fodder concerns, and many have had to sell livestock due to damage.
The protest was organised by the Save Our Shannon Organisation (SOSO), which had four main aims for the day.
Public relations officer (PRO) of the group, Liam Broderick outlined the aims of the protest:
- Getting a proper maintenance programme for the river;
- Forming one single Shannon authority;
- Removing pinch points, such as “silt islands and growths that have occurred in the river over the last number of years”;
- Lowering the lakes surrounding the Shannon by 1m.
“We want all the heads of our government to come together and put a proper plan in place,” Broderick said.
Broderick also said that farmers should be compensated for damages by the government.
“There are thousands of hectares that have been flooded and there’s going to be no silage cut.
“Farmers will have to be compensated for that because they’re going to have to go out and buy it from somewhere,” he said.
Broderick has lived near the affected areas of the Shannon flooding for 44 years now. He explained that over the last 20 years, he has watched the flooding become worse.
“The flood in 2009 was meant to be a once-off event, but we’ve had it twice since.
“There’s a biodiversity problem, there’s a wildlife problem, and a farming problem,” he added.
Protest at River Shannon
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) also attended today’s protest.
IFA president Tim Cullinan said: “The lack of action taken by the management authorities of the River Shannon is not acceptable.
“The damage done by the flooding is vast and now thousands of acres of silage and hay are destroyed and unsalvageable.”
He said an “agency” must be developed in the longer term, which would manage the overall Shannon project.
SOSO is hoping that together with the IFA, farmers can receive “action” from the government.