'An ecological disaster' - Councillors sound alarm over Shannon pipeline

Tipperary County Council has yet to formally back or oppose the proposed pipeline to extract water to supply Dublin from the Shannon basin and Lough Derg and Councillors have called for an emergency debate on the issue as the window of opportunity for objections closes.

An impassioned plea by Nenagh Independent, Seamie Morris, to halt progress on the €6-billion project gained strong support among council members at their first monthly meeting of 2026 in Nenagh on Monday.

A planning application for the water extraction project, which if successful will see water piped 170 kilometres from the Parteen Basin in North Tipperary across the midlands to supply potable water to Dublin, was lodged by Uisce Eireann with An Coimisiún Pleanala last month.

Tipperary County Council has until March 30th to make their final submission on the project and Cllr. Morris, who is backed by all his fellow members of the Nenagh municipal council and several councillors from across the county, called for an emergency meeting ahead of the submission deadline.

He said Tipperary County Council has not challenged claims that pumping water to Dublin is the most feasible option, when Dublin is surrounded by water and other potential solutions to solve the leaking water infrastructure serving the capital.

READ NEXT: Should Roscrea's Castle Street be pedestrianised?

Cllr. Morris rubbished claims that two-percent of the current water volume will be extracted and said the conclusions of independent experts contradict those of consultants employed for the project and called for the local authority to conduct their own survey on extraction volume and its potential effects.

Cllr. Morris said that he has reached out to Limerick and Clare county councils and warned that the prediction of ecologist Will O'Connor, is that four cubic meters of water will be extracted, potentially "destroying water supplies in Limerick". The Shannon currently flows at four-and-a-half cubic meters, he said.

The Nenagh councillor said several local farms will be adversely affected by the installation of the pipeline and that during summer drought periods serious damage will be done to the local tourist and agriculture sector.

Lower Ormond councillor, Michael O'Meara, pledging his support to Cllr. Morris, said water supplies for households and farmers in the Lorrha area is of a "third world standard" and expressed dismay at the proposal to pump water through an area close to the banks of the Shannon to serve Dublin.

"At the moment in the Carrig, Rathcabbin and Lorrha area there are 1,500 houses and businesses that have no water since Christmas and on the other side of that we propose to ship our water to Dublin - I think it is absolutely crazy," Cllr. O'Meara said.

Ballina based councillor, Phyll Bugler, said the once thriving angling and fishing industry in Killaloe and Ballina has been progressively decimated since the late 1920's, when the creation of the Ardnacrusha power station affected the spawning of salmon and never recovered.

"We had five hotels in Ballina in 1929 and we were the cream of the world regarding salmon fishing. We took a hit and we got the energy supply for rural Ireland, but we suffered because of it and now we are going to suffer again?", she asked, adding that she has been "fobbed off by Uisce Eireann anytime I try to get answers".

Cllr. Bugler said research into Dublin's own water supply concluded that over forty percent of the supply is lost by leaks and said pumping water from the Shannon to Dublin defies logic and "makes no sense."

Cllr. Pat English supported the calls and said the local authority needs to avoid a potential "ecological disaster" which would adversely affect tourism and industry in Tipperary; while Cllr. David Dunne said he "wouldn't trust Uisce Eireann to run a bath."

Several Councillors expressed frustration at attempts to interact with Uisce Eireann, with Cathaoirleach of the local authority, Cllr. John Carroll, stating he was met with "arrogance of the worst kind" during a recent engagement with the water authority on the phone.

Planning Director Brian Beck told the members the executive won’t decide whether they are backing the pipeline until they’ve thoroughly examined the extensive planning application, which contains over 500 documents and was lodged before Christmas.

READ NEXT: Minister turns sod on new €2-million Community Centre in Offaly

Environmental Consultants have been appointed to help the council put together its submission on the plans for the Shannon Pipeline and Mr Beck said the local authority is "now involved in a statutory process" to finalise a submission before the end of March.

Mr Beck said he has asked Uisce Eireann to come to Nenagh and meet with the Council members "as soon as possible" to enable elected representatives to directly express their concerns and ask questions about the project.

This will be preceded by a workshop for the elected members to discuss the draft submission and contribute to the document before the Council's submission to the planning board is finalised.