EU is not cause of inaction on floods

Francis Farragher
By Francis Farragher

Newsroom Journalist

Published 21st Jan 2016, 06:00 GMT
Sheep farmer Michael Murphy from Moneen, Cummer, Tuam, helped his five-year-old pedigree Suffolk ewe to lamb a set of quads earlier this month. It was the first time in his 33 years of pedigree Suffolks that one of his ewes had quads. All four are now on the bottle while Moma is also recovering well after being ‘well spun out’ following her efforts. “They are four very even lambs and all are doing well. It’s just very unusual to see this with pedigree Suffolks,” said Michael Murphy, who also carries pedigree Texels and crossbreeds on his farm. PHOTO: JOHNNY RYAN PHOTOGRAPHY. placeholder image
Sheep farmer Michael Murphy from Moneen, Cummer, Tuam, helped his five-year-old pedigree Suffolk ewe to lamb a set of quads earlier this month. It was the first time in his 33 years of pedigree Suffolks that one of his ewes had quads. All four are now on the bottle while Moma is also recovering well after being ‘well spun out’ following her efforts. “They are four very even lambs and all are doing well. It’s just very unusual to see this with pedigree Suffolks,” said Michael Murphy, who also carries pedigree Texels and crossbreeds on his farm. PHOTO: JOHNNY RYAN PHOTOGRAPHY.

THE Irish Government has ‘substantial scope’ to implement a planned flood relief programme, according to a deputation of MEPs and TDs who met with the EU Commission last week in Brussels.

The deputation was made up of MEPs Luke Ming Flanagan, Marian Harkin and Mairead McGuinness; TDs Michael Fitzmaurice, Denis Naughten and Barry Cowen as well as former IFA Flood Project Team Chairman Michael Silke.

In a statement issued after the Brussels meeting, the deputation said that the Commission clearly indicated the flexibility that was allowed by the EU in relation to the implementation of flood relief measures.

They said that it was the view of the Commission that the national authorities had substantial scope ‘to implement a planned, scientifically evaluated programme to alleviate flooding, tailored to national needs’.

The Commission said that this could be done under what is known as the Principle of Subsidiarity whereby decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizens by the local, regional or national authorities.

“Within the context of this overall plan, provision can be made through a permit system to allow for short-term emergency measures that may be needed,” according to the statement from the deputation.

The Commission also indicated to the deputation that while possibly dredging may not be the most favourable environmental approach to addressing flood problems, it could form part of the overall solution.

This overall solution, according to the Commission, would include reforestation and the re-wetting of boglands, the latter measure being suggested by Deputy Denis Naughten earlier this month.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Related topics:Connacht TribuneFloodsAgriculture
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