LIMERICK Green Party councillor Seán Hartigan has voiced concerns about the environmental and regional implications of the Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region plans to abstract water from the River Shannon.
Last month, Uisce Éireann published its Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region Non-Statutory Consultation Submissions Report 2025 — a 184-page document responding to feedback from statutory bodies, environmental groups, sports clubs, and members of the public.
Plans to abstract water from the River Shannon at Birdhill, County Tipperary, to supply Dublin City via a major pipeline, Cllr Hartigan fears, could be damaging.
“I understand the need to plan for future water shortages,” said Cllr Hartigan, “but this project could damage the Shannon and hurt communities in the west.
The Green Party councillor said the pipeline “must protect both the river’s biodiversity and the interests of people in the Mid West”.
“From my reading of the report, Uisce Éireann has largely ignored concerns from Limerick Greens and others about the conflicting demand for water for the Shannon Fish Passage project and for Dublin water supply,” he claimed.
The City East representative claimed that water would be taken from the Shannon every day, even during droughts. The benefits of the scheme, he maintains, are concentrated in Dublin, while regions like Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary lose out.
“Without proper safeguards, the pipeline could harm fish species such as salmon and eels. The River Shannon is a vital habitat for migratory fish like salmon and eels. These species rely on seasonal movements to breed, but existing infrastructure — including the Ardnacrusha Power Station and Parteen Weir — blocks their natural routes.”
A report by CDM Smith, commissioned by the ESB, Cllr Hartigan said, recommends several key actions to restore fish migration, including increasing flow in the old river channel to allow fish to move freely as well as weekly water releases in spring and summer to support salmon migration.
Recommendations also include night-time water spills in autumn to help eels travel downstream, upgrading fish passes so fish can bypass barriers safely, and installing barriers to prevent fish from entering dangerous areas like the power station tailrace.
“Planning for the water supply project must take this into consideration. This is not just an environmental issue — it’s about protecting a vital part of Ireland’s natural heritage,” Cllr Hartigan told the Limerick Post.
The Green Party councillor now wants to see a legal limit on how much water can be taken from the Shannon, full implementation of the fish passage project before pipeline construction begins, and a long-term plan that looks ahead 100 years, “not just to 2050”.
In response to Cllr Hartigan, Uisce Éireann said that the water supply in the Greater Dublin Area and significant parts of the region is on a knife-edge.
“Current demand is exceeding what we can sustainably produce and there is a critical need for a new water source. The delivery of the Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region is critical to the delivery of housing and growth for the State, and as such, it is a priority for Uisce Éireann to progress the project as soon as possible and to submit planning by the end of this year,” the water service said.
The national water utility told the Limerick Post the aim of the project is to meet the domestic, commercial, and industrial water supply needs of up to 50 per cent of Ireland’s population to 2050 and beyond, and provide safe, secure, resilient, and sustainable drinking water supplies across Meath, Kildare, and Wicklow. It will also provide infrastructure with the capacity for future offtakes to serve communities along the route in Tipperary, Offaly, and Westmeath.
Uisce Éireann said the project involves abstraction of a maximum of two per cent of the long-term annual average flow of the River Shannon at the Parteen Basin.
“This compares with the current abstraction rate of 40 per cent in The River Liffey. The River Shannon is the largest river in Ireland and its catchment covers 20 per cent of the island of Ireland. The proposed project will not change how water levels are managed. That responsibility remains with the ESB, who will continue to manage existing water levels,” the water service said.