FF plan on flood relief for Shannon

THREE Fianna Fáil TDs are to bring a Bill before the Dáil aimed at alleviating ongoing flooding problems along the Shannon Basin, causing particular problems to farmers in Galway and Roscommon.

Deputies Anne Rabbitte, Eugene Murphy and Robert Troy will attempt to amend the Electricity Supply Act, 1934, in relation to the control of water levels along the River Shannon.

According to Deputy Rabbitte, archaic legislation dating back to the 1920s, was still being used to govern water levels along the Shannon with potentially catastrophic consequences for landowners and local communities.

“That legislation was put in place to cater for power generation in relation to the Ardnacrusha hydroelectric station.

“In 1932, the ESB were given autonomy in relation to maintaining water levels to fuel the Ardnacrusha power station. Now this only generates 2% of the national grid output,” said Anne Rabbitte.

The Bill, due to be tabled during the next Dáil session, is expected to be based on four main pillars:

■ The control of water levels at Lough Derg with the altering of weirs and embankments.

■ To make provision for the control of water levels on Lough Ree.

■ The control of water levels on Lough Allen including the dredging and deepening of channels and the reconstruction of the weir.

■ Altering, removing or reconstructing various structures along the Shannon.

Deputy Eugene Murphy, the Fianna Fail Junior Spokesperson for the OPW and Flood Relief, said that many farmers across western counties were still experiencing serious flood related problems.

“The flooding of turloughs throughout Counties Roscommon and Galway is still a major issue and in fact it’s very much the forgotten story as countless farmers and farming families are still under siege from rising flood waters at a number of turloughs in the region.

“These need to be included as a special area of attention and I am working on having this included in this new Bill to be brought before the Dáil,” said Deputy Murphy.