THREAT OF JCB AS DEADLINE PASSES FOR FERMOY WEIR REPAIR

Dear Editor,

“I love deadlines” the sadly departed Douglas Adams used to say. “I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.”

This Tuesday at midnight the deadline to repair the Fermoy’s historic weir passed. To repeat the facts: in 2003 migrating salmon were unable to traverse Fermoy weir.

An anonymous complaint to the EU led to officials from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (as it is now) claiming that nothing less than the demolition and replacement of the weir, and with it the subsequent lowering of the river upstream, would satisfy Brussels.

Officials claimed that Ireland would be fined millions of euro if the weir wasn’t blown out of it and replaced with a lower structure, a rock ramp pass. Sean Sherlock TD has repeatedly suggested on the Dail record that the initial, anonymous, complaint may have come from the Southern Regional Fisheries Board as a means of perpetuating its own survival. The SRFB has yet to contradict the deputy’s suggestion. Freedom of Information requests were hampered by the reported loss of documentation to “flooding”.

The people of Fermoy, awkwardly enough, didn’t accept the department’s version of reality and spoke out loudly and often in their opposition to the removal of John Anderson’s weir.

Members of Fermoy Rowing Club and local angling clubs, courtesy of outgoing MEP Kathy Sinnott, travelled to Europe last year to discover that the EU had never specifically sanctioned the department’s preferred solution. Leaving aside the far more serious impediment to fish migration at Careysville, all sides agree that the weir, the structure around which the modern town was built, is badly damaged and is in urgent need of attention.

Last Christmas saw Minister of State Conor Lenihan concede that a simple repair of the weir would satisfy Europe and get the problem off his desk. To this end, Lenihan told the owners of Fermoy weir, Fermoy Town Council, that he was giving them twelve months to fix the weir.

For conservation reasons, the Southern Regional Fisheries Board will not allow in river work after the end of August, so the council had a clear window and a clear deadline. Instead the gamble has been taken that this isn’t really an urgent matter and sure as long as we are seen to be doing something, won’t that do ye?

And now our worst fears may be coming to pass. Water levels in Fermoy are as low as they were in 2003 and we hear, anecdotally, that the Southern Regional Fisheries Board may have a JCB on standby to knock the weir, should they judge its destruction necessary for the migration of salmon.

Last year Minister Martin Mansergh caused annoyance when he advised worried property owners on the south bank of the Blackwater that, until the entire flood plan is finished, the best thing they could do is pray for dry weather.

Ironically, those of us who campaigned to save the weir are now left with little better hope than praying for the opposite.

Yours sincerely,
Donal O’Keeffe,
Fermoy.

KILFINANE MEMORIES OF RODGER

Dear Editor,

On behalf of Kilfinane COI Conservation Committee, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for sending Mr Rodger Farrell, RIP to our recent COI celebrations and for the great coverage you afforded us in The Avondhu.

The feedback from the day was great and the crowd were very generous with their suggestions and their donations.

We would also like to offer our condolences on the death of your colleague Rodger; it is quite unbelievable to think that he attended our day just over a month ago. Our thoughts and prayers are with you,

Thank you so much for the support,

Yours sincerely,
Jim Flynn,
Chairman Kilfinane COI Conservation Committee.

MATTIE – ‘GREEN BEHIND THE GILLS’

Dear Editor,

I refer to the article by Mattie McGrath, FF TD for South Tipperary, in The Avondhu of August 26 lambasting the minister over the commercial vehicle tax issue.

Mattie is like a Jack Russell, all bark and no substance. He can be depended on to defend his own little patch and bark at just about anything that passes his way without knowing much about what he is barking at.

His assertion that the law regarding commercial vehicles use should not be actively or even passively applied is a gross attack on the rule of law.

Fact is there should be no exception to the proper and consistent application of law - if the law is bad, it should be changed not simply ignored. This is yet another example of light touch regulation under a FF Government which is a corrosive cancer on Irish society.

That any TD should recommend such a course of action is a disgrace. Perhaps Mattie is more ‘green’ (behind the gills) than the minister.

Yours sincerely,
Kevin T Finn,
Kingston Close,
Mitchelstown.