Flooding hell: Bog rewetting and Storm Amy rainfall compounds issue for Longford farmers

Farmers should not have to clear drains around bogs before Bord na Móna’s (BNM) bog rewetting activities when they should be doing it themselves according to Longford IFA Chair John Sheridan.

The Ballinalee native said recent heavy rain in recent days that fell when Storm Amy swept over the Midlands has compounded the problem and he stated it has 'always been an issue' for them.

"I've raised it with Bord na Móna myself at several meetings.

"The one thing I have asked them to do and they have completely refused is to clean the drains around the bogs first before they do anything else.

"If they want to rewet the bogs they should be maintaining the drains around the bogs, that has always been our case.

"They actually refuse to do it and they are leaving it up to the landowners themselves to do it, which is a total impossibility for landowners."

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Mr Sheridan said the Brown Bog on the north-west side of Longford town, a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is one such area.

"There are at least seven or eight farmers I know of that are affected by it around there and possibly even more.

"And they will be affected by it because of the amount of rain and everything over the weekend, where is the water going to go to?

"There are also a good number of farmers out there in Clondra."

One such Longford farmer, Roy McCormack, who has a small piece of land adjoining the Brown Bog and about 40 acres adjoining it was critical of the situation.

"It's being rewetted now.

"We've had meetings with Bord na Móna and all sorts of promises made and we don't know how this is going to pan out.

"We don't want to interfere or stop you doing any of this work, but we want to be sure that we are not going to be in a worse position when it is finished than when it started.

"We don't know and the fear is Bord na Móna will just do this work and just ignore you."

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Dozens of farmers and property owners from county Longford and county Roscommon attended a meeting in the Mountdillon region last week.

Midlands-North-West MEP Ciaran Mullooly has called for urgent action to protect farmers and property owners from flooding caused by Bord na Móna’s (BNM) bog rewetting activities, insisting that proper drainage management and oversight must be put in place before any rewetting proceeds.

“Firstly, it is important to be clear that there is no EU Regulation that forces Bord na Móna to maintain existing drains.

“However, under the EU Nature Restoration Law (NRL), BNM is required to submit a comprehensive rehabilitation package to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) before any rewetting takes place.

"This package must include a Drainage Management Plan for both the bog and the surrounding lands, along with a Hydrology and Risk Assessment under Article 9.4 of the NRL.”

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Mr Mullooly, who visited land owners hit by flooding over the weekend, stressed that these assessments must be made available to all affected farmers and property owners, and that if they are inadequate, they must be amended to properly address the risks of flooding.

A spokesperson for Bord an Móna stated it was adverse weather conditions arising from Storm Amy last week that caused flooding across parts of the midlands, adding ‘there is no evidence of BnM’s peatlands restoration activity (conducted in accordance with its dedicated Peatlands Climate Action Scheme) contributing to this flooding’.

The spokesperson pointed out that BnM’s Peatlands Climate Action Scheme is entirely separate to the EU’s Nature Restoration Law. “BnM is required to carry out rewetting and peatland rehabilitation under its Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) Licence, which is enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency. The rehabilitation measures proposed under the Peatlands Climate Action Scheme incorporate and enhance those measures required under the IPC licence.”

The spokesperson continued, “BnM only conducts rehabilitation work on its own landbank, which is carried out in consultation with adjoining landowners and in accordance with all relevant regulations and standards.   

“BnM’s drainage management plans are submitted to, reviewed, and approved by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.”

The spokesperson concluded, “To date BnM has rehabilitated over 21,000 hectares of peatlands as part of its PCAS programme, enabling the capture and sequestering of millions of tonnes of carbon while also supporting the restoration of natural habitats for plants and wildlife.”

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