Farmers want the Office of Public Works (OPW) to manage water levels on the Shannon by dropping the level from the end of the summer season, the IFA told Minister Patrick O’Donovan in a meeting this week.

Minister O’Donovan has responsibility for the OPW, and IFA president Tim Cullinan said he needed to take control of the situation as farmers are “sick of excuses for inaction”.

Cullinan was keen to stress that farmers wanted to ensure lowering the river levels did not cause roblems further downstream.

Pinch points

“A number of key pinch points identified along the river need to be addressed. Silt has been building up on the bed of the Shannon over the years which has to be removed by dredging. These actions would help alleviate the flooding problem by lowering the water levels,” Cullinan said.

“It’s affecting farmers, who are suffering major losses, and it also causes disruption for businesses in the flooded areas.”

IFA Connacht regional chair Pat Murphy said there was a huge flooding problem in south Galway due to water rising in turloughs. He said a proper drainage system would help alleviate some of the problems there.

Relocation

A small number of farmers in the area have farmyards and wintering facilities that get flooded but the proposed drainage will not rectify the problem. Murphy said it caused major stress for the farmers involved.

These farmers did not want to move their farmyards, he said but found themselves being forced to do so.

The IFA is calling on the Minister to provide relocation support for these farmers.

The association also wants Minister O’Donovan to establish an agency which includes local people to manage the overall Shannon project to rectify the problems and maintain it thereafter.

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