Many of those farming along the River Shannon are in danger of being left unable to graze lands from as early as August this year due to a lack of river management, the IFA has claimed.

The IFA called on Government to immediately establish an agency to oversee the management of the river, adding that farmers should be included among the body’s members.

“The weather in August can be very volatile and can bring significant localised flooding similar to what was witnessed in the northwest last week,” said IFA Connacht chair Pat Murphy.

“The opportunity to graze this aftergrass must not be lost due to unnecessary flooding which could be prevented by proper management on the Shannon.”

Action needed now

Murphy stated that intervention by the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) Patrick Donovan was needed immediately to counter the risks posed by rising water levels along the river: “The minister has to take immediate control of the situation and ensure the water levels are managed appropriately to reduce the risk of flooding.

“In the longer term, an agency must be established which would include local farmers to manage the overall Shannon project to rectify the problems and maintain it into the future,” said Murphy.

Maintenance lacking

Offaly IFA chair Pat Walsh has said that farmers in his county located within the Shannon Callows see a real possibility of farmland being flooded.

These fears would be settled if there was better maintenance of the river, he remarked.

“A number of key pinch points identified along the river need to be addressed. The banks of the river haven’t been correctly maintained for many years,” said Walsh.

“Silt has been building up on the bed of the river, causing silt islands to form. Silt islands, the vegetation that grows there and poorly maintained river banks, impede the flow of the river which contributes greatly to flooding during periods of high rainfall in the river catchment

“The River Shannon must be maintained. Fallen trees, overgrown vegetation and silt islands must be removed. These actions would help alleviate the flooding problem by allowing the water levels to reduce without unnecessary restriction.

“It’s affecting farmers, who suffer major losses, and it also causes disruption for businesses in flooded areas,” the county chair concluded.