Ideas for Longford to have a 'national freshwater park' in Lough Ree

A Longford Oireachtas member has made a case to the Minister of State for establishing a national freshwater park at Lough Ree, focusing on Longford lands and insisted there is an opportunity to 'look at 'sustainable farming in its purest form'.

Fianna Fáil Senator Joe Flaherty, who made the comments last week in the Seanad, also asked if unopened sections of the Royal and Grand Canals near Longford could be designated as nature reserves.

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"We do not have a national freshwater park at the moment.

"It will be no secret to the Minister of State that I will be making the case that it should be Lough Ree, particularly those lands around Lough Ree that are close to County Longford.

"The Minister of State visited the area recently as part of a national conference that took place in Athlone.

"He met some people who are involved in promoting that project."

Senator Flaherty said they have islands in Lough Ree where people still lived up to 50 years ago.

"Indeed, we have a TD in the Lower House, Deputy Brennan, whose grandfather was one of the last residents of one of those islands in Lough Ree, and subsequently moved to Galway."

Senator Flaherty said they have made significant progress in farming in terms of the environmental challenge, particularly through the offices of the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES.

"There is an opportunity for us, through the national parklands scheme, to look at a more pure and wholesome method of farming that even goes beyond what we are doing in ACRES.

"We have a great opportunity to revert to farming in what was its purest and most simple form through that."

Senator Flaherty said they have an opportunity with Lough Ree and its islands to look at 'sustainable farming in its purest form'.

"We could look at bringing back some of the rare cattle breeds.

"We have the traditional Irish goat which was almost extinct, but good work has been done on bringing it back.

"Both of those species can cohabit there reasonably well. We have the traditional Irish cob, on which some work has been done as well.

"We can do a lot of work on safeguarding and building on that through a national park in the midlands and specifically around Lough Ree.

Senator Flaherty expressed concern that the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC) was surprised by a planned review of their memorandum of understanding.

"I have one concern in relation to the National Association of Regional Game Councils.

"It would be fair to say we had our battles with the Minister of State's predecessor."

Senator Flaherty said the Minister of State Christopher O'Sullivan has 'taken on the mantle', while his predecessor Senator Malcolm Noonan worked hard in the role.

"The association was surprised, in response to a question in the Lower House, when the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, was replying to a query and confirmed that a review of the memorandum of understanding is to take place.”

Senator Flaherty said that came as a great surprise to the National Association of Regional Game Councils and it was the first they ' had heard of it'.

“Obviously, it is taking the Minister of State's bona fides at face value.

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"It has seen the positive work his office has done, particularly in the area of the mink eradication programme, and the significant progress we have seen in respect of breeding waders.

"It is unfortunate that the NARGC has heard about this process in this way.

"The Minister of State's officials need to engage with it and give it some degree of reassurance.

"We need a collegial process and to work together."