Protesters again halt pipe-laying at Limerick water works

Gardaí were called to the scene of a protest in Co Limerick yesterday as campaigners again blocked work on a controversial new…

Gardaí were called to the scene of a protest in Co Limerick yesterday as campaigners again blocked work on a controversial new water supply.

Contractors working for Limerick County Council attempted to resume laying pipes at Pallaskenry but were forced to stop by a group of protesters who refused to move.

Gardaí from Askeaton took the details of four protesters and it is expected that they will shortly be brought before the High Court for breaching a court injunction.

Earlier this week in the High Court, four other protesters in favour of a community water supply narrowly avoided jail after they were summoned to explain why they breached the court order.

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The injunction was granted to Limerick County Council two weeks ago after protesters in Pallaskenry had repeatedly hindered pipe-laying work.

Three of the campaigners, including Fianna Fáil county councillor Noreen Ryan, gave an undertaking to the court not to further obstruct the council's work.

However, mother of two Ms Orla Kaiser declined to give such an undertaking and said she was prepared to go to jail rather than allow the council to change her community's water supply.

An application by Limerick County Council to have Ms Kaiser committed to prison for contempt of court was adjourned in the High Court until tomorrow.

The stand-off began on May 30th after protesters campaigning against the introduction of the Shannon Estuary Scheme forced contract workers to down tools.

The protesters are fighting to retain their existing water supply, which comes from a nearby lake at Bleach Lough.

Up to 1,000 householders in Pallaskenry and Kildimo have been supplied with water from the spring source for nearly 50 years.

They claim that the River Deel, the source of the new water supply for the Shannon Estuary Scheme, is already badly polluted.

Those claims have been strongly denied by the council, which stresses that the supply from Bleach Lough is not adequate to cope with today's and future demands.