Independent Ireland MEP Ciarán Mullooly has written a letter to the chief executive of Bord na Móna, Tom Donnellan asking for the semi-state company to suspend rewetting of two Co. Roscommon bogs until local concerns are dealt with.

Mullooly told Agriland that he wrote the letter on behalf of farmers who own adjacent land to Mountdillon and Erinagh bogs in Co. Roscommon.

Many of these farmers are concerned about their farms being flooded as the bogs nearby are due to be rewetted in the coming months.

Mullooly said the the registered letter was sent directly to the CEO in case there has been a communications issue after the farmers' concerns were met with silence.

The rewetting is part of the European Commission nature restoration work assigned to Bord Na Móna.

The company has a commitment to rewet about 40,000ha of peatland around the country.

However the MEP is saying consideration must be given to the local landowners at this crucial stage as it will be too late to do anything about cleaning drains out in the bad weather next winter if arable farmland nearby is already flooded.

Mullooly said that a group of the farmers met with Bord na Móna over two months ago and agreed upon a protocol for dealing with their concerns.

He added that the land owners expected that protocol to be followed and thought it was matter of waiting for the issue to go through the correct process .

However, the MEP clarified that on Friday (July 18), Bord Na Móna alerted local farmers that the company would be shutting off the pumps this Thursday (July 24).

Mullooly said this comes as a concern after going a couple of months without hearing anything back from the company in regards to blocked drains on the perimeters of the bogs.

He added: "The farmers are adamant for it to be known they are in no way against the rewetting of the bogs."

Mullooly said that farmers were also looking for the drains to be fenced if possible, considering the safety hazard empty drains may pose to animals when when cleared out.

The MEP said: "The drains around the bog are in a pretty miserable state, clogged with filth. Some are only half-full, but others are full to the top."

Mullooly said that further issues had arisen at the previous meeting, "with one if not two farmers claiming that maps produced by the company included land which they say they own, not Bord na Móna."

The MEP said that this is of great concern for these farmers, as they have submitted this land under their BISS applications.

He added that if Bord Na Móna do not resolve the issue, these farmers will have their agricultural land flooded.

Mullooly said: "This is unacceptable if people who own the land are totally ignored and farmland floods in the coming year."

The MEP added that this is an emergency Bord na Móna could prevent and urged the company to visit the farms on the ground and examine the sites, saying the issue can still be avoided.

Mullooly has called a meeting tonight (Tuesday, July 22) at 6.00p.m in St. Faithleach GAA clubhouse in Ballyleague, Co. Roscommon, to discuss the growing concern.