New Bill to address flooding along River Shannon

A new Bill has been launch to help address flooding issues along the River Shannon.
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on OPW and Flood Relief Eugene Murphy TD outlined “The River Shannon is an immense natural resource for our country. But as the frequency and intensity of flooding has risen over the past number of years, it’s clear that we need new measures to help protect vulnerable communities living along its banks.

“This Bill addresses the concerns raised by various community groups and aims to update old legislation in order to ensure the ESB has full flexibility in setting water levels on Lough Allen, Lough Derg and Lough Ree. This will lead to a more co-ordinated decision making process, free from legal constraints, and will help maintain an adequate, safe water level. Essentially the Bill removes specific water levels from legislation and allows the ESB to continue to use its own expertise to set these levels in conjunction with other relevant bodies such as Waterways Ireland, Inland Fisheries and the local authorities.

“This Bill is not a silver bullet. There is no single solution to ease flooding along the Shannon, but our Bill can form part of an overall package of measures designed to address the difficulties communities on the Shannon are facing”.