Hardship in face of summer flooding

Flooding in the Clonown area of Athlone is set to create a winter of hardship for farmers and residents, an IFA activist has predicted this week in the wake of the worst summer on record in the county. Heavy rainfall throughout July and August has led to fears of a fodder crisis around the country, but the situation is exacerbated in the embattled area of South Roscommon, where thousands of the acres of land along the Shannon Callows stretching from Banagher to Athlone is under water. The IFA has renewed its call this week on the OPW and Waterways Ireland to act to alleviate flooding along the Shannon for once and for all. "This is the third year in row for summer flooding in Clonown. Everything is lost there is no meadows or grass, it's a washout. Flooding is also coming close to the road now," local farmer and member of the Shannon Action Committee Paddy Halligan explained this week. "Even if the weather was to take up now, and that seems very unlikely, it would take a full month for the area to clear up," Paddy said, adding: "No winter fodder was got up there and the pasture is gone as well. It means people have to sell animals in a falling market because they have no fodder and they are losing money. The scarcity of fodder nationally also means they won't be able to buy it either. It's a no win situation." He said farmers acknowledged their land was on a flood plain and flooding in the winter is, more often than not a fact of life however, Mr Halligan pointed out that summer flooding can be alleviated with desilting work. "The Shannon needs to be desilted in places, a couple of hundred metres was done in the Meelick area two years ago, which helped but that was stopped. I would be calling on the OPW and Waterways Ireland to look at it again," he said, adding that the situation affects around 100 families, farming and non-farming in the Clonown area. He said he also feared the road will completely flooded soon leaving some residents completely stranded before the winter even sets in. Meanwhile, Fine Gael Deputy Denis Naughten appealed to the Minister for Agriculture this week to immediately release payments to farmers who are facing fodder difficulties due to the bad weather. "Many farmers have poor crops or in some cases have lost their fodder crop altogether, such as the farmers in the Shannon Callows," said Denis Naughten. "It is imperative that all outstanding payments are issued to farmers to purchase replacement fodder." He continued: "While the single farm payment cannot be paid until October other payments such as the disadvantaged area payment and money due to farmers under other grant schemes should be brought forward for immediate payment to address not only the fodder issue but also the cash flow problems which many farmers are facing at present." "Although this would only be a small step it would help to address the specific pressures facing farm families at present," concluded Deputy Naughten.