A special meeting of Limerick City and County Council is to be convened to address growing concerns about the proposed Shannon Pipeline Project.
Aontú Councillor Sarah Beasley has successfully secured support from fellow councillors to call the meeting following widespread public concern about the potential impact of the pipeline on local communities, the environment, and the Shannon estuary.
The controversial pipeline project, with a cost that could exceed €10 billion, would extract up to 330 million litres of water daily from the Parteen Basin near Limerick and pipe it 170 kilometres to Dublin.
Cllr Beasley says.
“This project has significant implications for our region, and it’s vital that our council has the opportunity to thoroughly examine all aspects before any further progress is made,” “The people of Limerick deserve to have their voices heard on a matter of this magnitude.”
“Dublin doesn’t have a water shortage. They do however have a worsening problem with burst pipes and broken treatment plants – fix that first “
“Just last October, a single pipeline in North Dublin was leaking some three swimming pools worth of water every single day. They’re losing 37% of their water through leaking pipes. Instead of fixing this wasteful infrastructure, they want to spend up to €10 billion taking water from the Shannon.”
The project raises serious concerns for Limerick’s future development and highlights a fundamental inequality in infrastructure investment. “Limerick has sewage treatment plants operating at capacity in multiple towns. We’re refusing housing developments because we can’t handle the sewage. €10 billion could fix that – instead it’s being spent on Dublin,”
“The Mid-West serves forty percent of Ireland’s population. We’re being told to accept that billions will be spent on Dublin whilst our infrastructure remains chronically underfunded. That’s fundamentally unjust.”
She highlighted Newcastle West as a stark example, where wastewater treatment plant upgrades are not expected until 2031, blocking housing and business development in the meantime.
Environmental groups have warned the pipeline could harm the Shannon’s delicate ecosystem, threaten migratory fish species like salmon and eels, damage tourism around Lough Derg, and potentially cause the river to dry up during drought conditions. The project would also cut through 500 farms, disrupting thousands of acres of agricultural land.
“The logic is completely backwards,” Councillor Beasley added. “You don’t build a €10 billion pipeline to pump water into a system that’s haemorrhaging a third of it through broken pipes. That’s like pouring water into a bucket with holes in it. Fix Dublin’s infrastructure first, then see if you even need a pipeline at all.”
The Special Council Meeting will provide an opportunity for councillors to receive detailed briefings, question officials and stakeholders, debate the council’s position, and consider formal motions on the matter.
Councillor Beasley concluded: “Limerick’s water is a precious resource that should support the region’s own development and growth, not subsidise Dublin’s failure to maintain its infrastructure.”
The date for the Special Meeting will be confirmed by the Príomh-Chomhairleoir’s office in accordance with Standing Orders.
