Call for Mid-West meeting on pipe plan

The local authorities of Tipperary, Limerick and Clare are being asked to join in opposition of the controversial plan to pump Shannon water to the greater Dublin area. Tipperary Co Council has made a submission to the Water Supply Project, Eastern & Midlands Region, as part of the non-statutory public consultation process currently being run by Uisce Éireann.

The submission raises a number of points in relation to the environmental and ecological impacts of the project. The council welcomed the proposed Community Gain Fund and sought sufficient scale and ambition for the fund to benefit communities living along the scheme.

Reference was also made to “offtake” water supply elements of the scheme. The council expressed concern that “these offtake elements are limited to the Dunkerrin/Moneygall/Cloughjoran area and the Ballina/Killaloe area, leaving significant areas of the county affected by the project not benefitting from the project”.

Reacting to the submission at last week's meeting of the council, Cllr Séamie Morris was “horrified” to think that the local authority would “hand over power” to Uisce Éireann to develop a Community Gain Fund. While he did not believe the pipe project would ever materialise, Cllr Morris said the council should be looking to impose development levies on Uisce Éireann in the event that it does. He said the council's position on the matter equated to a “surrender”.

Cllr Morris wanted the submission to be brought before the members of Nenagh Municipal District so they could make an addendum to it. He also called for a meeting of the three Mid-West local authorities so they could challenge Uisce Éireann's €10 billion consultant-driven "attempt to unbalance the country".

"I think the local authorities need to get together as a group and oppose this absolutely disgraceful waste of public money," Cllr Morris declared.

'VERY WORRYING'

Cllr Phyll Bugler said there is a lot of opposition to the pipe plan among people living around Lough Derg. There are particular concerns over impact on ecology and tourism.

"It's very worrying," Cllr Bugler said. "We've never done anything like this in Ireland before. We're in the unknown about it."

She asked the council executive to provide more detailed information at the meeting of Nenagh district councillors, particularly in relation to the impact of abstraction in times of low flow rates in the Shannon.

Director of Services Sharon Kennedy pointed out that Uisce Éireann is due to submit its planning application to An Bord Pleanála at the end of this year. The application would contain full details of the scheme and the council would be able to make a submission based on those details. She reiterated that the present public consultation is non-statutory.

Ms Kennedy said the council was never in a position to impose development levies on the scheme. An Bord Pleanála is the deciding body. The council would seek professional advice over what benefits could be secured from the Community Gain Fund.

Ms Kennedy agreed to organise a workshop for Nenagh district councillors in the coming days.

Cllr Michael O'Meara asked about what power the council does have in the matter. Certainly, he said pressure should be brought to bear to ensure off-takes for the area north of Ardcroney, which always experiences water problems in times of dry weather. The pipe would have a major impact on the farming community and people whose lands are taken for the scheme; they should be looked after, Cllr O'Meara said.

'FAIT ACCOMPLI'

Cllr Joe Hannigan suggested that the project is a "fait accompli" as far as Uisce Éireann is concerned. The water utility's track record on providing infrastructure should make people concerned about the pipe, he said.

Cllr Morris said that is one of the reasons why the councils of Tipperary, Limerick and Clare need to meet and make a submission on the plan. "I don't think we should be doing this on our own," he said.

"Nobody wants to deny water to Dublin," was the view of Cllr Bugler. "But we have to look after our own area and we want to expand our area rather than sending water up to Dublin so 35% of its leaks out of the pipes."

Also commenting on the matter was Cllr William Kennedy, who believed the council should be able to impose commercial rates on the pipe, just as it would an industrial complex.

In its submission, the council said the "provision of infrastructure/offtakes should be incorporated into the overall project to meet the plan led-population targets of towns and villages along Lough Derg and in proximity to the pipeline throughout the county. There should be no constraint in water supply or network capacity in these towns and villages. "

The council also asked Uisce Éireann to commit to a "road map for the provision and management of wastewater services infrastructure in settlements where Uisce Éireann does not have any infrastructure currently; this includes Developer Provided Infrastructure (DPI) and unsewered towns."

The Community Gain Fund is to support local community-based initiatives, primarily in the areas of environment, sport & leisure and training & education. The council wanted the fund to be in place for the full operational life of the project.

In relation to environmental and ecological impacts, the council sought "contingency planning if extreme and extended drought conditions occur, to avoid negative impacts to the ecology downstream".