UP to 50 boats joined a protest on the River Shannon at the weekend against Uisce Éireann’s proposed pipeline extraction plan.
The project will see the construction of a 170km pipe to pump 330 million litres of water a day from Parteen Basin in County Clare —a European Special Area of Conservation— to a reservoir at Peamount in Dublin.
The national water utility has applied for planning permission for the project, which proposes to abstract a maximum of two per cent of the average river flow to supply the nation’s capital and the eastern region. The estimated cost is between €4.6billion and €10billion.
Aontú councillor Sarah Beasley joined up to 50 boats on the River Shannon last Saturday to highlight opposition to Uisce Éireann’s plans to extract water from the river to serve the greater Dublin region.
The flotilla at Parteen Basin, organised by angling groups from the Shannon region including the Lough Derg Anglers Association and Killaloe Sailing Club, saw kayaks, sailing boats, and cruisers gather with one clear message – ‘hands off our river’.
“I was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with water users from across the region,” said Cllr Beasley.
“The message from the Shannon is clear — this pipeline must be stopped.”
The Limerick City North representative met Tipperary councillors Dr Phyll Bugler and John Carroll, along with environmentalist Elaine Doyle of the River Shannon Protection Alliance at the protest.
“Dublin loses 37 per cent of its water through leaking pipes. One pipeline alone was leaking an estimated equivalent of three swimming pools worth of water every day,” Cllr Beasley
stated.
A special meeting of Limerick City and County Council, which was called for by Cllr Beasley in January, took place this Monday evening.
“Tipperary and Clare councils have already lodged formal objections. Limerick has been conspicuously silent. This meeting will ensure Limerick’s voice is on the record before the 31st March deadline,” Cllr Beasley said.