Time running out for Fermoy weir?
FEARS WEIR COULD BE WASHED AWAY BEFORE WORKS EVEN START
WHILE Cork County Council has reiterated its commitment to repairing the crumbling weir in Fermoy, locals have said they fear the structure could be completely destroyed before works to repair it even get underway.
In his final engagement as Minister for State at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment Sean Kyne and Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) officials visited Fermoy on Tuesday to meet with Council officials and members of the Save the Weir, Save the Salmon lobby group.
After viewing the weir Mr Kyne said an agreement had been reached with the council to proceed with the estimated €3.2 million project of repairs and the construction of a new fish pass.
He said he had asked the Council to provide a commitment in writing to provide €30,000 to progress planning and that they provide him with a fully costed design for the project. Asked if his department and IFI would finance the works, Mr Kyne said that while he was confident funding would be forthcoming, he was unable to guarantee it.
Following the visit, Cork County Council said in a statement that it has committed the €30,000 to the project, which would enable the completion of a preliminary design, allow them to seek the required planning permissions and complete a detailed design.
“This would bring the project to build stage. However, the council has outlined that it requires a commitment to and certainty from central Government regarding the overall capital cost,” read the statement.
It went on to say that the Council would write to the Department setting out the overall cost and time-lines for the project.
“Minister Kyne provided clear assurances to the Council that the request for capital funding will be fully supported by his department,” it concluded.
The chair of the Council’s Fermoy municipal district committee, Cllr June Murphy, said that a clear commitment on finance for the project was needed, saying that without this there would be “no movement” on the issue.
The lobby group expressed concern that no funding guarantee had been reached and that no action plan had been agreed to secure the existing weir in advance of the estimated 22-months it will take for the local authority to complete the preparatory works
“One good flood and the weir will be gone,” said Cllr Noel McCarthy.
Paul Kavanagh, development officer with Fermoy Rowing Club, said breaching of the weir had resulted in a drop in the level of the River Blackwater damaging many of its boats.
He said that should the condition of the weir worsen it would threaten the future of the towns annual regatta.
Chris O’Donovan, who runs a disabled-friendly boat along the river said the river was so low it was getting to the point where he was afraid to take the boat out in case it might run aground with people on it.
Tommy Lawton, a spokesman for local anglers, said local tourism could be impacted if salmon were unable to get upstream to their spawning grounds.
“In five years time their numbers will be significantly depleted and overseas anglers will not come here anymore,” he said.