Carol Nolan calls for urgent action on River Shannon flood points
Carol Nolan spoke as a member of the Rural Independent Group about repeated flooding along the River Shannon and in Leish Offaly, calling for urgent, practical action on pinch points, conveyancing and flood defences. She backed a motion demanding clarity on timelines, environmental assessments and specific works at Shannon Grove, Derry Homes and Mount Melick.
Local flooding areas
She listed communities in Leish Offaly affected by the River Shannon - Bannerhur, Lusma, Shannon Bridge, Shannon Harbour, Clunmac and Noyes - and noted flooding from the River Brosna at Riverstown and Bor. She also raised recent destruction in Mount Melick caused by the River Oanis and said businesses and properties there have suffered huge damage.
Requests for ministerial clarity
She asked the minister for specific updates, including whether conveyancing of the Shannon agreed in 2019 will proceed, whether planning permission was sought for conveyancing, and a definite start date for work on two pinch points at Shannon Grove and Derry Homes.
Environmental assessments and consultation
She urged that environmental assessments not be a "cop-out" and called for full, non-desktop reviews with consultation with farm owners, land owners and property owners. She warned that the EU Habitat Directive can be enforced in an unbalanced way and must not be used to delay necessary works.
Community groups and funding
She commended the Save Our Shannon group and other local activists for highlighting the issue, urged the minister to accept the Rural Independent Group motion and to work constructively with local representatives. She acknowledged the €1 billion provision in the National Development Plan for flood relief but insisted that funding must lead to tangible action to end repeated devastation to homes, land and businesses.
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I'm delighted as a member of the Rural Independent Group to be involved in this motion here this morning and I want to thank the hard-working staff in our offices, Maureen McGrath and Breen O'Donnell, for all of the great work that they've done with this motion. I'll begin by saying that I'm very aware of flooding issues in the constituency I come from, Leish Offaly, with the River Shannon which causes flooding issues in areas like Bannerhur, Lusma, Shannon Bridge, Shannon Harbour, Clunmac, Noyes and other surrounding areas, while in Riverstown and Bor we have the River Brosna which also causes flooding. But I also want to mention in County Leish the River Oanis also has caused much destruction in the town of Mount Melick in recent times, huge destruction to businesses and indeed properties there, so I am aware of it and we need urgent action, it just cannot be left any longer. Minister, a far greater degree of clarity is required around when the strategic programme of maintenance and removal of constrictions or pinch points on the bed of the River Shannon. At the Callows region between Athlone and Mealick Weir will commence. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform confirmed to me that progression of these works will be subject to full environmental assessments and planning consent that are required before they can proceed. I sincerely hope the environmental assessments are not a cop-out, we have to make sure that this is not a desktop review, but that there is consultation with farm owners, land owners and property owners about this because very often the EU Habitat Directive is enforced in a very unbalanced way and it is abused and misused. We do not need any excuses, we just need action and pragmatism and common sense in force to ensure that measures are put in place. Minister, I have some specific questions arising from our motion that I would like to put to you this morning. I wish to seek clarity from you and a response to them if you can give it to me in written form or this morning. Is conveyancing of the Shannon still going to take place as agreed in 2019? Was planning permission sought in respect of conveyancing of the Shannon and could you please provide me with an update on that? We will work on two pinch points along the Shannon, at Shannon Grove and Derry Homes will be prioritised because landowners are telling me that that is where the real problems are along the Shannon. I also want to ask you in relation to Mount Melik, will flood defences be put in place? I would like to know, we have heard about them, but when will they be put in place? I would like an update on that. I just want to also commend many groups which have been very active on this issue, on the flooding issue for years. One of the groups is the Save Our Shannon group based in West Offaly and with members also in Athlone and Galway. They have done fantastic work in highlighting this whole issue and we need to make sure that out of fairness that we are hearing what they are saying to us and that actions are taken here. Minister, I would appeal to you to accept this motion and accept that we are listening to people on the ground, we are listening to the farmers, the property owners and the businesses who are appealing to us as political representatives to bring all of these items to your attention and all of the issues that we have raised in our motion to your attention. Minister, we are appealing for you to take them on board, we will work constructively with you, but we do need to make sure that we have a commitment from yourself. I would also ask Minister for a definite start date on work on the pinch points, particularly the two pinch points I mentioned earlier along the Shannon Grove and Derry Homes. We need definite commitments on those and I just want to say also, Minister, that I acknowledge, and I want to be positive here this morning, I do acknowledge that the existing provision of €1 billion in the National Development Plan has been put forward to deal with flood relief issues. And it is an indication of some commitment. But again, we need to see action. I mean, people are disillusioned and people are disheartened and it is very, very distressful for people and it causes great, great upset when their homes are flooded or their land is flooded or their businesses that they have worked hard all their lives to build up are destroyed by floods. So let's make sure that we put an end to that and that we put proper measures in place. And I believe the only way to do that is to accept what we're saying here in the Rural Independent Group in our motion. We are in touch with the people on the ground constantly and I know you are yourself, Minister, but I'd ask you to embrace what we've set out there in that motion. K Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
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