Cooper's Comments 3

Recently this society along with the Irish Pike Preservation Society had a meeting in Lanesboro with three eminent members of our fisheries board. Points of view from all sides were expressed and what could have turned out to be a public relations exercise on behalf of the fisheries board developed into what could be termed as a well balanced debate. When we left the meeting we were firmly convinced that we had been listened to and the undeniable proof of poor water quality throughout the Shannon region had finally hit home to all concerned.

Imagine my astonishment then when on Friday 8th December I received a letter (redirected to me by Senator Paschal Mooney) from Frank Fahey, Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, which said...

"...the Board (Shannon Regional Fisheries Board) informs me that if, the E.P.A. and local authorities have investigated a number of reports relating to the presence of foam below the weir at Tarmonbarry and have found no major pollution problem connected to the same"
(Read the full letter from Frank Fahey)

Pardon me for being a bit slow on the uptake here, but our own independent water analysis done by a well established laboratory in Co. Meath tells us the water quality is extremely poor. Another report done by Natural Environmental Consultants of Co. Wicklow also tells us the same story. Surely there is only one Tarmonbarry with a ruddy great weir in it or have the S.R.F.B. and the E.P.A. discovered another one where everything in the garden is rosy!

I think it is about time the lying and the cover-ups stopped and people in power face up to the problems we all know are there.

I have sent a covering letter to Mr. Fahey with both sets of water sample results. I guess when he has read it, it will be forwarded to the S.R.F.B. then to the E.P.A. and then end up in the B.I.N.!!!

Watch for more reports in the near future.

Geoff Cooper
P.R.O.

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