Dáil investigation of landslides needed, says ICMSA

A DÁIL Committee was asked yesterday to investigate the cause of the landslides that have damaged farmland, forestry and roads in Derrybrien, Co Galway.

The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) called on the Committee for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to establish the source of the problem and ascertain whether the public bodies, who authorised developments in the area, acted responsibly.

Thousands of tonnes of mud, water, trees and stones have moved off a local mountain on which an ESB subsidiary, Hibernian Wind Power, was constructing a wind farm.

Local residents have expressed fears that the mudslide could affect water supplies and fish stocks, and could also threaten homes.

ICMSA Rural Development Committee chairman Tommy Cooke said the problems must be addressed as a matter of urgency and repair work commenced.

The Dáil Committee is ideally placed to examine what happened in Derrybrien and to put in place measures to ensure this does not occur in any other part of Ireland, he said.

Mr Cooke said he had written to the chairman of the committee to convey the ICMSA’s concern on the issue and to ask that action be taken.

“The question must be asked whether or not the development of a wind farm in the area played any part in causing the landslide, and if so, measures must be put in place to prevent a reoccurrence of the problem,” he said.

Mr Cooke said the ICMSA supports the development of community wind farm projects but practices must be put in place to ensure that problems like those Derrybrien will not happen again.