SOSO welcomes Shannon Callows Flood Relief Scheme but 'more is needed'

SAVE Our Shannon Ogranisation (SOSO) has welcomed the government's new Flood Relief Scheme but believes it doesn't go far enough.
230 farmers living in the Shannon Callows area between Athlone and Meelick Weir are to be included in the Flood Relief Scheme which was announced by the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue on November 7th last. The scheme is for those farmers who lost their fodder due to summer flooding in the Callows.
The total funding for the Scheme will be €800,000 and €325 is to be paid to each farmer per hectare, with a minimum of one hectare and a maximum of 15 hectares. The Department of Agriculture said it will be contacting the affected farmers in the near future.
Liam Broderick, PRO of Save Our Shannon Organisation (SOSO), in a statement issued to The Midland Tribune, said SOSO welcomed the scheme, but wasn't completely happy with it.
“Every bit of help is needed,” he remarked. “This year was the worst year ever for hay, silage and haylage being lost."
On Wednesday evening November 8th a deputation of three members of SOSO visited the Dáil and made a presentation to the Committee for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Liam Broderick told the Committee that since last July SOSO has been lobbying all TDs in Westmeath, Offaly, Galway East, and Roscommon regarding the big loss of hay and silage due to the “longest summer flooding period ever.”
Liam pointed out that SOSO had written on numerous occasions to the leaders of the three government parties seeking a meeting with them.
“The only leader to meet us was the Tánaiste Micheál Martin, which occurred in September in Athlone. Present were TDs Anne Rabbitte, Barry Cowen and Robert Troy, and Senator Eugene Murphy.
"Micheál Martin listened to the problems faced by farmers and businesses due to flooding and promised to speak to the Minister for Agriculture and Waterways Ireland. This he did, and a relief scheme for farmers who lost fodder was announced on November 7th by Minister McConalogue.”
Present at the meeting with the Committee on Agriculture on November 8th were SOSO committee members Michael Silke, Chairman, John Ryan, Vice Chairman, and Liam Broderick, PRO.
The Committee on Agriculture members present were Deputies Jackie Cahill, Chairman, Michael Fitzmaurice, Joe Flaherty, Claire Kerrane, Carol Nolan, Seán Canney, and Senator Tom Lombard. Other politicians present were Deputies Barry Cowen, Danny Healy Rae and Senator Eugene Murphy.
While welcoming the scheme, SOSO said there were a number of questions and points which had to be made. These were conveyed to the committee. They included the following:
Is the scheme designed only for fodder that has been lost? Farmers have lost their grazing lands and now have to sell off stock. Are these farmers included? Is grazing land included in the scheme? Callows land along the banks of the Suck and the Little Brosna Rivers are part of the Shannon Callows. Are these lands included?
SOSO added that it believes that considerably more than 230 farmers lost their grazing crops and fodder during the summer.
John Ryan, Vice Chair of SOSO, told the Committee on Agriculture about the hardship which he and his family endured over the summer and autumn period due to 40 hectares of his farm being under water, with the resultant loss of fodder and grazing ground.
He spoke of his neighbours suffering the same problem. He expressed the view that the farmers of the Shannon Callows were being picked on, with their land regularly flooded and no attempt to deal with the problem.
The Vice Chair added that the ESB and Waterways Ireland “made the flooding worse in mid July when for ten days they refused to open all the gates in Meelick Weir despite calls from farmers, businesses, TDs, and County Councillors to do so. All the gates were not opened until July 15th, thus preventing the flood waters from getting away.”
Michael Silke spoke of the problems faced by farmers, businesses and residents during the summers and winters in the Shannon Callows.
He spoke of a river not drained since British times, of a river choked with silt, trees, bushes, silt islands, and vegetation, due to a lack of maintenance; of a river filled with silt from Bord na Móna bogs; of a river controlled by the ESB and Waterways Ireland in a very uncoordinated manner; of a river with lakes that are often not lowered in summer in order to provide a place for floods to go in winter.
Various TDs offered support to the SOSO representatives. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice pointed out that the Minister's hands were tied by the Habitats Directive, which has prevented drainage of the rivers of Ireland, including the Shannon, at a time of constant weather alerts for rain and storms.
Deputy Fitzmaurice said jet engines had been installed in Rhode and Shannonbridge power stations to provide an emergency electricity supply when there is insufficient wind to power the turbines. He said these jet engines had been installed under emergency powers under the Habitats Directive.
Deputy Carol Nolan pointed out that too many agencies are in control of the Shannon.
She asked why the Heads of the Bills for one Shannon Authority had still not been moved?
She asked if the TDs could enlist the help of the MEPs on the issue of the Habitats Directive.
Senator Lombard said the rotting grass under the floods will render the land useless for grazing and saving hay next summer.
Deputy Barry Cowen pointed out that the CFRAM programme (a programme for the management of flood risk in Ireland) had recommended the removal of pinchpoints on the Shannon but this had only been done to a very limited degree.
He also asked that the victims of flooding be represented on the proposed single Shannon Authority.
Liam Broderick said back in the 19th Century the Irish Land League, founded by Michael Davitt, was looking for the 3 'Fs' – Fair Rent, Free Sale and Fixity of Tenure. “However the residents of the Shannon Callows were looking for only the 2 'Fs' – Freedom from Floods and Freedom to Farm.
"Farmers, business people and residents of the Shannon Callows often wonder does any government, any agency, any Department, even think about them?”
Michael Silke finished the meeting by thanking the committee for listening to them and for giving them the opportunity to raise the issues that concern the residents of the Shannon Callows.