Local farmers concerned about water pipeline plan

Irish Water need to start providing “concrete information” to the hundreds of local farmers whose livelihoods could be affected if the 170km pipeline bringing water from the Shannon to the Dublin cuts through their land.

Speaking to the Offaly Independent this week, Offaly IFA chairman John Keena, who has already had a number of meetings with the utility, revealed that if the project is built the preferred route up to 300 local farmers could be affected.

He says that the farming community is concerned at the lack of “concrete information” coming from Irish Water about plans to pump water from the Shannon at Parteen in Limerick to a reservoir at Peaumount in south County Dublin.

“There are a whole lot of concerns. It's a massive infrastructure that is going from south to north Offaly and will have an impact on up to 300 farms. The size of the the pipe, the removal of the soil, the whole construction of it. There are a huge lot of questions not just answered yet.”

Mr Keena says that up to now farmers have been “drip fed” details and while the IFA are not against the project, there needs to be more “concrete information”.

“First we told that the pipe would be going in the direction of Dublin up to Peamount. Now it's changed and there are going to be spurs coming off it feeding towns. It's a good idea but farmers don't want to be rail roaded over it.”

The local farming chief says that before any discussions about compensation take place, farmers want to have more information about the construction of the pipeline.

“We've been told there will be an air valve every 500m and a wash out valve every 500m, that means that there's going to be something roughly every 250m. That will cause a lot of disruption on farmland.

'We've also been told that valves will be kept near ditches but the air valve will have to be at the highest point and if the highest point isn't near the ditch it can't be kept it. There is a lot of information missing that we are looking for.

'We have met them three or four times but they keep coming back with different things. There is a lack of clarity every time,' Mr Keena said.
Irish Water is hosting information evenings in Tullamore on November 28, Birr on November 30, and Edenderry on December 1.

The IFA's environment and rural affairs chairman Thomas Cooney has urged farmers to attend.

He says that its important that farmers receive a detailed map that sets out the impact of the proposed project, confirmation that the pipe will remain in state ownership and that any future income and yield losses will be covered by Irish Water if the project goes ahead, and information about what physical impact the project will have on holdings.

'Farm families must ensure their strong voices are heard clearly at the Irish Water meetings,' Mr Cooney concluded.

The public consultation process for the pipeline closes on February 14 next, and Irish Water says that it hopes to be in a position to apply for planning permission towards the end of 2017.