Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I re-echo the Tánaiste's words in thanking Oireachtas staff and members of an Garda for all their work. I wish them and their colleagues well over the coming few weeks. Just over a year ago, a major landslide occurred at Shass Mountain, Drumkeeran, County Leitrim. Leitrim County Council did sterling work in ensuring that bridges and roads were secured. About two or three months ago, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, guaranteed that basic payments would continue for this year under force majeure.

However, that is only for this year. In a couple of months' time, I will be back in the House asking about the situation and that cannot continue. The long-term issue of compensation for land that is rendered useless, and we are talking about 170,000 tonnes of peat that was deposited across lands in Leitrim, is completely up in the air. There have been similar schemes previously when land was destroyed, for example, in Inishowen, but, so far, there has been nothing about the situation in Leitrim. I ask the Tánaiste to look into this matter.

See this speech in context