Minister defends works on Nenagh River

Controversial drainage works carried out on the Nenagh River have been defended by the Government minister responsible for the agency that undertook the project, but local anglers are insisting that the works are addressing the the concerns of farmers only, not other stakeholders.

Minister Patrick O' Donovan, who has responsibility for the Office of Public Works, said the removal of riverside trees that had encroached on the waterway was vital to improve drainage.

He said the river drained up to 7,000 hectares of land in North Tipperary, adding that a lot more river drainage was required around the country.

The minister said flooding was a major problem and the situation was only going to get worse due to climate change, “and I won't apologise in terms of the works that we do”.

Of the heavily criticised Nenagh project where drainage works took place on a stretch upstream of the ABP meat plant at Grange, Minister O' Donovan stated: “I know the works carried out on the river will be to the betterment of the river.”

Nenagh Ormond Anglers Association spokesman Joe O' Donoghue, who branded the works as “absolute mutilation” of the river bank, confirmed that his association had a meeting with OPW officials on Thursday last to discuss the situation.

ANGLERS’ CONCERNS

Commenting on the fact that the trees cut by the OPW have been left along the banks of the river, Mr O' Donoghue said: “We explained to them that what would happen when the next big flood comes is that timber from the trees left on the bank will be swept downstream and get stuck in bridges and in the weir at Ballyartella. Some logs could also end up floating around the bay in Dromineer where they would pose a danger to boats.”

Mr O' Donoghue said the minister and the OPW were “not looking at the big picture”.

“There are pieces of timber from the trees dumped there on the bank that are fourteen and sixteen inches in diameter. Where do they think all of that timber is going to go when the water levels rise in the next flood that comes along?

“We told them that what is on the bank of the river simply can't be left there. It's not right because it is going to float away and it's preventing anglers from access to the river.”

Mr O' Donogue said the practices of the OPW on river drainage had changed for the worst. “Years ago the OPW when doing this type of work used to leave out the big heavy timber for the local landowner and they would put the tops of the trees through a chipper so that all you were left with was sawdust along the bank of the river which was gone in a month.”

Mr O' Donoghue questioned why the works were taking place. “The minister is talking about relieving flooding, but if I met him I would be asking him where is the flooding in the Nenagh area? Let him tell me one place in Nenagh that is flooding; there is not one house on that whole Nenagh river that is flooding. It is just not happening.”

Mr O' Donoghue said that if the OPW continued to clear trees and other vegetation from banks it would lead to an increase in flow and would inevitably lead to flooding problems further downstream. The way works were being approached did not always solve issues. “You have to look at long-term rather than a short-term solution. There is a bigger picture here and the minister is not looking at it.”

The minister was addressing the concerns or farmers who were worried about their lands being flooded, but not addressing the concerns of other stakehbolders.

“The Parks and Wildlife Service and Inland Fisheries should have a say in how these works are done. You just can't look on it from the point of view of a farmer or landowner,” said Mr O' Donoghue.

FURTHER WORKS

Replying to anglers concerns about the felled trees left along the riverbank, the minster said the works on the stretch in question had yet to be completed. He said the works had been undertaken on foot of complaints made to the OPW in regard to trees that had fallen into the river and there was a danger of sections of the bank falling into the waterway that wold lead to silting and other problems.

He said a lot of the complaints about the works were being made by people from outside the Nenagh area and some images on social media of the site of the works was not actually where the works had taken place.

Minister O' Donovan said he and the OPW were very conscious of the need to protect the ecology and biodiversity of rivers and projects carried out were in compliance of all environmental legislation. He said he had been inundated with requests from TDs from all over the country seeking drainage works on rivers.

The River Shannon Trust claim the OPW works impact on Otter, Kingfisher and other reparian habits and will not prevent flooding.