It’s feared an “all roads lead to Dublin” approach to infrastructure could leave Clare behind and irreparably damage the county’s water bodies.
Following Clare County Council’s decision to lodge an objection to the proposed 170-kilometre pipeline from the Parteen Basin and Dublin, an environmental group has urged other local authorities to follow suit.
The River Shannon Protection Alliance’s conference in the Limerick Strand Hotel has heard that “dangerously low water flow” in the River Shannon will be the result if the €6 billion project goes ahead.
In December, Uisce Éireann submitted plans for the pipeline which would abstract roughly 2% of the Shannon’s water flow at the Parteen Basin.
Traversing counties Tipperary, Offaly and Westmeath, the pipeline is intended to meet the drinking water demand of the Greater Dublin Area and would serve up to 50% of the country’s population.
Clare County Council has this month voted to lodge a submission to the plans due to concerns around ecology, tourism and disruption to landowners, making it the second local authority to do so after Tipperary.
Environmentalist and Senior Project Manager with the River Shannon Protection Alliance, Elaine Doyle, wants to see other councils step up to the plate.
Killaloe Fianna Fáil Councillor Tony O’Brien was one of the five East Clare local elected representatives who’s called on the local authority to assist them in making a submission to Uisce Éireann’s planning application.
He believes the project would lead to the “decimation” of the River Shannon and Lough Derg.
The water utility estimates the pipeline would abstract “a maximum of 2% of the average flow” of the Shannon when built but there are concerns that much more than this could be taken in the event of drought in Dublin.
Jim Ryan of the Killaloe Sailing Club says even a 2% reduction in water levels would be “disastrous” for his group’s activities.
While no infrastructure would be located in Clare, fears have been expressed that the county’s lakes and rivers could be affected.
Scariff Independent MEP Michael McNamara believes there’s no doubt that Clare would be negatively impacted.
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