More than 200 attend Toomevara meeting on plans for major biogas plant in north Tipperary

More than 200 people gathered in Toomevara this evening to discuss plans for a major biogas development in north Tipperary.

The public meeting, held in the village’s parish hall, was organised by former IFA president Tim Cullinan, who is leading the project. Mr Cullinan, a pig farmer in Toomevara for 45 years, said the facility would process “200,000 tonnes of byproducts from the local area, with minimum disruption to the local area.”

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He told attendees that the plant would generate enough gas to heat up to 9,000 homes locally. Planning permission has not yet been lodged, but he said: “At this point, we are at the first stage with An Coimisiún Pleanála.”

Residents, local businesses, community groups and elected representatives filled the hall to hear details of the proposal and to raise questions.

Members of the Ballymackey Biogas Concern Group voiced opposition to what they described as the “sheer scale and location” of the planned plant. The group’s chairperson, Henry Mooney, told the meeting that the development, located outside Ballymackey village and designed to process 200,000 tonnes of waste per year, would make it one of the largest such facilities in the country.

Mr Mooney said that while the group supports the move toward renewable energy, the proposal “raises serious concerns that are not adequately addressed by current regulations.” He added that members are worried about the enforcement powers of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Traffic and infrastructure were among the most prominent issues raised. Attendees said that the local road network is too narrow to handle the heavy-goods traffic associated with the project. There were also concerns about possible effects on groundwater and the nearby River Ollatrim.

Labour TD Alan Kelly, who attended the meeting, said the Government has yet to publish a clear national framework for the use of biomethane despite having a committee in place for some time. He argued that planning guidelines should be established before any biogas projects are approved.

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