Tipperary councillors unit in fight of Uisce Eireann’s Shannon Pipeline

Every one of County Tipperary’s 40 councillors has united to back a resolution for the Executive’s submission on Uisce Eireann’s Shannon Pipeline planning application.

The motion expresses strong concern about whether the plan to take water from the Shannon for the Eastern Region has been finalised. Councillors raise concerns about threats to the environment and climate, risks to water flow, possible damage to tourism and local businesses, a lack of a plan to address drought, problems caused by construction, and whether there are better ways to supply water to the East.

An Bord Pleanála is reviewing Uisce Eireann’s application to extract water from the River Shannon, with a decision expected by March 2027. Statutory bodies, including local authorities, must submit their responses by March 30.

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Cllr. Seamus Morris and Cllr. Phil Bugler opposes the proposed temporary “Community Gain Fund” during the construction of the 170km pipeline. Cllr. Morris maintains that Uisce Eireann should pay development levies per metre of pipeline and a perpetual levy per litre of water extracted, as outlined in Tipperary’s County Development Plans for over a decade.

Cllr. Roger Kennedy warns that major gaps in the application’s data would block any chance of approval from the local planning office. Meanwhile, Cllr. Anne Marie Ryan and Cllr. John O’Heney and others have both voiced their lack of faith in Uisce Éireann’s ability to manage water services.