Some 48 drainage management maps drawn up for Bord na Móna’s peatland rewetting scheme show that the semi-State body recognises its works and could potentially put the productivity of farmland at risk if preventative measures do not work as planned.

Most plans state that existing boundary drains should be sufficient to prevent water leaving rewet areas and making its way on to farmland around bogs.

Drain upgrades, including widening or deepening works, will be needed if these are found to be “not functioning as predicted”.

If high levels of intervention are needed, new drains could be dug to create a break around bogs to prevent water flowing into farmland, the plans say.

For example, in the Oughter bog in Co Offaly (see map) the blocking of drains leaving the bog could rise groundwater levels to the bog surface and create a fall across the bog into adjacent lands.

The groundwater level in lands affected by this difference in water levels “will potentially rise” and effects will be greatest “immediately beside the bog”.

Another site – the Pollagh bog also situated in Co Offaly – plans on stopping water pumps from draining the bog. The bog plan recognises that “unintended spill points may occur into adjacent land” should water levels be allowed to rise after pumps on the bog are turned off.

Grassland is among the potential risk areas identified for this bog.

Landowner engagement through a community liaison officer is advised in the plans if needed before, during or after the roll out of its rewetting scheme.

Bord na Móna said it “regularly updates” farming organisations of all bog rehabilitation plans.

No direct contact

Farmers alleged last month in an Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) briefing with TDs and senators that they have no direct contact with the agency and that no liaison officers had been on-farm to witness what they say are impacts of rehabilitation works on their farmland.

When queried by the Irish Farmers Journal, Bord na Móna stated that plastic pipes have been installed inside all bogs to monitor water levels and this information will be provided as the schemes progress.

However, it did state that it does not monitor water levels on lands it does not own.

It also maintains that it is intended that rewetting will not impact on lands not owned by Bord na Móna.

The maps were released to information freedom group Right to Know following requests for the maps by Ashley Glover.

€128m rewetting plan

In November 2020, the Government signed off on granting €108m of its Climate Action Fund to back Bord na Móna’s bog rehabilitation scheme. Another €18m of Bord na Móna’s own funds were added to this.

The scheme will cover an area of approximately 33,000ha previously used for peat extraction for electricity generation in the midlands.

The plan aims to protect the storage of 100m tonnes of CO2 and prevent 3.2m tonnes of CO2 from being emitted, with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) appointed as the regulator of the scheme.

Bord na Móna announced in early 2021 that it would cease all peat harvesting operations on its lands in its move from ‘brown to green’.

It is expected that these lands will contribute to the vast majority of Ireland’s rewetting targets under the EU’s proposed nature restoration law, if the proposals pass in the European Parliament.