Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Government fully recognises that there was an exceptional flooding incident and event in the Shannon Callows late last summer which prevented some farmers from completing normal traditional harvesting of silage and or hay. This left affected farmers in a serious situation requiring them to purchase fodder to maintain animal health and welfare during the winter months. It was the first time there was any intervention to support flooding on the callows. No Government had ever done this prior to my announcing, on 7 November last, a new scheme - the Shannon Callows flood scheme - to support affected farmers in the Shannon Callows. I allocated funding of approximately €800,000 for the scheme. This allowed for a payment rate of up to €325 per hectare to this scheme.

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The Shannon Callows flood scheme is operated from within my own Department. Given the urgent nature of the assistance required, payments commenced issuing to farmers last December. The expression of interest letters, which included the application form, issued on 17 November to approximately 230 farmers. A further 47 expression of interest letters issued on 7 December. As of 19 February, 268 of the 277 were paid.

This scheme was for farmers with LPIS parcels in the Shannon Callows special area of conservation that were impacted, as determined by the Department's observation team utilising the area monitoring system, and which were claimed by farmers on their basic income support for sustainability, BISS, application last year. Farmers were identified as being impacted by fodder loss on dates between 2 July 2023 and 29 September 2023.

For those who did not receive an expression of interest form, it is possible for the herdowner to make use of a procedure for seeking an internal review. To date, we have received 64 requests for review from farmers who were not identified by the Department as having lands in the Shannon Callows SAC that were flooded in late summer 2023. My officials are processing these requests and a decision on the outcome of these reviews will issue to the herdowners concerned as the reviews are processed.

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