Dáil debates

Tuesday, 23 May 2006

8:00 pm

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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I wish to share time with Deputy Connaughton.

As I speak, water levels on the Shannon are rising rapidly and this has a devastating impact on the habitat of the Shannon callows. The callows consist of a flood plain of approximately 6,000 hectares with two very important bird habitats, namely, the wet meadows where the corncrake breeds and the damp pasture that is used by waders. The number of corncrakes and waders has declined drastically in the past 20 years. This unexpected and unseasonal flooding of the callows has wiped out the internationally important breeding on the callows for this year and this is seriously threatening the survival of the corncrake population, which is Ireland's only globally threatened bird species. It also has a dramatic impact on farmers and their livelihoods. Up to 10,000 acres of land have been flooded and farmers are forced to purchase fodder for their livestock.

Flooding is expected during the winter months but not at this time of the year. There are a number of mitigating steps which can be taken. The OPW produced a report on the Shannon flooding, which outlined potential mitigation options and the economic viability of a flood relief scheme. The report was subsequently distributed to the 22 stakeholders, but no further action has been taken on this report and it is now gathering dust. If a sum of €5 million was set aside for maintenance of the watercourse, it would have a direct impact on the vulnerability of the callows to flooding and thereby protect the wild birds, farmers and the navigation of the river itself.

Proposals have been presented to the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government to develop a wetland park in the north midlands, in County Roscommon and County Longford, which would increase the capacity of the flood area north of Athlone and thereby address the extent of the flooding in the Shannon callows. This proposal could help to alleviate flooding as there is potentially about 30,000 hectares of cutaway bog, which would naturally flood by up to 4.5 metres if such a project was developed. To get the project up and running, all that is required is the formal approval of the Government. This would provide a major buffer to the current and potential flooding in the Shannon basin and benefit farmland, callows and towns such as Carrick-on-Shannon and Athlone.

There are approximately 600 farmers in the Shannon callows. Current environmental restrictions such as the nitrates directive place a significant financial burden on those farmers, on top of the cost of this flooding. Under the terms of the EU directives, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government must compensate landowners for losses or costs incurred as a result of such designations. However, this issue is outstanding for the past nine years. If it was resolved, it would be an important and timely boost to farmers who now have to find replacement feed for their livestock.

Roscommon County Council has made a submission to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to raise roads, improve safety and provide access for isolated communities in the areas of Clonown and Drumlosh. However, that has fallen on deaf ears in the Department.

It is imperative that any debris along the river south of Athlone is removed immediately, especially the debris caused by Waterways Ireland and the ESB in the vicinity of weirs.

Photo of Paul Connaughton  SnrPaul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Naughten for sharing time.

The River Shannon and its tributary, the River Suck, are very angry this evening. The floods have broken the banks and have spilled out over thousands of acres of farmland. That farmland was just getting into full production this month. The silt left behind this evening destroys the hay, the silage and the grass for the year.

A report of a joint Oireachtas committee of which I was a member and an OPW report in 2004 came up with certain proposals. We must be realistic because, economically, we cannot drain the Shannon. However, remedial works would be of great benefit, such as removing the silt that blocks the normal flow. There should be better management of the weirs, as well as a decent compensation package for the farmers of the Shannon callows. They are looking for it for nine years and I cannot understand why officials from the relevant Departments do not recognise the disadvantage suffered by those farmers.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I am replying to this matter on the adjournment on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, who is abroad on Government business.

The Minister of State and his officials in the OPW are aware of the current level of flooding in the Shannon callows. While winter and occasional summer flooding is a feature of the callows, severe flooding of the kind experienced at present is not. The current exceptional flooding is due to the unusually heavy rainfall which we have experienced in the month of May. Rainfall this month may prove to be the highest May rainfall on record.

The Office of Public Works has no responsibility for the maintenance of the River Shannon. It is open to the commissioners under the provisions of the Arterial Drainage Act 1945 and the Arterial Drainage (Amendment) Act 1995 to prepare a scheme to prevent or substantially reduce flooding in an area. The possibility of undertaking an arterial drainage scheme for the River Shannon has been considered on a number of occasions and has been ruled out on economic and environmental grounds.

In 2003 the Commissioners of Public Works undertook a further preliminary assessment of the Shannon flood problem. This assessment reviewed the previous reports and their conclusions in the light of the changes that had occurred in the catchment in the intervening 40 years. The review considered a variety of issues, such as conditions in the river, competing uses of the river, perceived changed climate patterns, changed agricultural regulations and practices, different economic circumstances for agriculture and other industries, the higher values being placed on environmental and heritage assets, as well as tourism opportunities, to establish if the possibility existed that a more detailed study might identify viable options to alleviate the flooding problem. It recommended that a pre-feasibility study of possible flood risk management opportunities should be undertaken. That study was completed in late 2004 and copies were given to the stakeholders.

The study concluded that the application of non-structural measures appeared to offer the best way forward. This would include the identification of flood risk areas and the development and implementation of a flood warning service, within the context of a catchment-based flood risk management planning framework. The plan would be developed under the umbrella of a lead agency, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, and would set a long-term strategy for management of flood risk within the Shannon catchment.

The Office of Public Works intends to prepare catchment flood risk assessment and management plans for all river basin districts, including the River Shannon. This is a substantial programme of work and will take a number of years to complete. The commissioners are in the process of commissioning consultants to undertake a pilot study of the lower Lee catchment. It is not possible at this point to say when the study of the Shannon will commence.

Photo of Paul Connaughton  SnrPaul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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About 20 years.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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While scientific issues relating to flora and fauna are primarily the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, they will also be taken into account through the strategic environmental assessment which forms part of the catchment flood risk assessment process. These issues may also come up for consideration in the preparation of the management plan for the River Shannon basin, which will be prepared in accordance with the water framework directive.