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Offaly farmers Pat O’Brien and Michael Guinan have warned TDs and senators that the impact of rewetting near their farms is a “sign of things to come”.
The pair spoke at an ICMSA briefing in Leinster House last week, explaining why Bord na Móna should indemnify them as part of its midlands rewetting project.
Guinan, whose lands lie 1.5km “as the crow flies” from the rewet Pollagh Bog near Rahan, said 5ac of one of his fields have appeared wetter than at any stage since 1980. “We’d never had a problem before,” he said.
Bord na Móna began raising the water table of the bog, a 15-minute walk from Guinan’s lands, in late 2021.
“The field had flashes of water in it over winter but it’d be gone in a few days. Now it’s lying there for weeks on end. Water appeared earlier in the year than normal as well,” he added.
The dairy farmer said he can’t prove the nearby rewet bog has led to the issues, as there was never any baseline assessment done.
However, he insisted that Bord na Móna must conduct remedial work and put in drains to rectify the water problem and ensure it doesn’t worsen.
“I had no direct contact from Bord na Móna as regards the impact it could have on my farm. No liaison officer ever came onto my property.
“I have never sought a red cent. It’s not about money. It’s about our ability to farm our land,” he said.
Backing Guinan and O’Brien, ICMSA president Pat McCormack called for Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan to come to table on rewetting implications.
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