Dáil debates

Tuesday, 4 October 2022

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Departmental Funding

Photo of Marian HarkinMarian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I am glad to see the Minister here this evening because the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, who is leaving the Chamber, the Minister and I have discussed this on a number of occasions. I very much hope that tonight we can finally get confirmation of the promise the Minister made when he visited Drumkeeran last November. He met farmers, stakeholders, landowners and local politicians etc. The promise was that the Minister would deliver some type of compensation package. I hope that tonight, we will be told that compensation package is in place and that it will be delivered immediately.

The Minister and I know this has gone on far too long. The landslide at Shass Mountain happened almost 27 months ago, in June 2020. While I recognise and appreciate, as do the landowners, the fact that the Minister ensured that Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, payments were paid in the intervening period, which was important, they are nonetheless waiting far too long for the package of compensation.

We are speaking about more than 20 farmers and approximately eight foresters who were adversely affected by the damage from this landslide. Their patience has been sorely tested. When I raised the matter last June in the Dáil, which was the last time I raised it here, I made the point that maybe if they had marched, blocked roads and caused disruption, it might have been resolved sooner. However, they took the Minister at his word and so did I. I hope his word will be honoured here this evening.

I will not take up my four minutes. I have rehearsed these arguments too many times but I will put on record again the fact that Leitrim County Council did much good work. It pulled out all the stops and mitigated as much of the damage as it could. The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, who has just left, through his chairing of a multiagency group, kept farmers, landowners, Departments and local and national politicians in the loop. Good work has been done but there is still a huge piece missing in the middle of that jigsaw. I sincerely hope that piece is in the Minister's hand.

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Harkin for raising this important issue. I recognise the work she has done on this issue over the past while. I am working to address it and wish to bring peace of mind as quickly as possible to the landowners in the area.

As the Deputy referenced, I visited those affected by the landslide last November together with the Deputy, the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, and Deputies MacSharry and Kenny. I know councillors Paddy O'Rourke and Mary Bohan have taken a strong interest in it as well. The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, and I visited together that day because we recognised the stress that has been there in families and the importance of bringing a resolution to it.

I had hoped to have it concluded by now. The Deputy is right to say it has gone on too long and I hope to conclude it and bring it to a resolution very soon.

As the Deputy knows, the landslide occurred on Shass Mountain, which is close to the village of Drumkeeran, on 28 June 2020 following heavy rain. An area of blanket bog and adjacent forestry moved downhill with liquified peat, vegetation and trees. Some of the landslide material was held at the Dawn of Hope bridge close to the origin of the landslide. However, a quantity of material overflowed the bridge and made its way approximately 7 km downstream. It eventually spread out and settled on areas of farm and forestry land in several townlands. There were subsequent sporadic deposits of peat and other debris and the heaviest deposits occurred in the townlands of Corcormick, Derrindangan and Corchuill Lower.

The agricultural area affected by the landslide has been mapped by my Department using a combination of satellite imagery data for the period in question together with detailed global positioning system, GPS, data collected from surveys conducted on the ground in July and August 2020. The total agricultural area affected by the overspill has been calculated to be just over 24 ha. The total area of forestry within the damaged area is estimated to be 12 ha. This comprises land held in seven privately owned forestry contracts. The affected area is associated with 20 landowners or basic payment scheme claimants, and 19 of them have an affected area that exceeds 50 sq. m. Six of the seven forestry contracts have an affected area that exceeds 50 sq. m as well. A report prepared by RPS Group consultants for the then Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht estimated a total deposit amount of 160,000 cu. m or 160,000 tonnes, which is present at varying depths of up to two metres in the overspill areas. The costs associated with the removal of the overspill material would run to more than €20 million. In addition, the removal of the peat from the affected area could create significant environmental issues, especially in relation to water quality and aquatic life in the Diffagher River and Lough Allen.

As far as scheme eligibility of the overspill areas as agricultural land is concerned, these areas have remained eligible for payment under the basic payment scheme, as the Deputy mentioned, and other schemes administered by my Department because the applicants have been able to avail of the provisions of force majeurefor the 2020, 2021 and 2022 scheme years. This means I have been able to protect these farmers' crucial payments in these years. The matter is under review for the year ahead.

Following extensive consultation with various stakeholders, a proposal for compensation was drafted. This proposal contains several measures to deal with the impact of the landslide and has been submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for sanction, which is required for funding in respect of the agreed package of measures. We are engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the proposal and an announcement will be made, I hope shortly, on the package of measures. As I said, this is a process I want to bring to a prompt conclusion to bring peace of mind to the landowners who are in this situation through no fault of their own and indeed to follow through on the commitments I and the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, provided when we visited there last November.

Photo of Marian HarkinMarian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I will be honest with the Minister. Perhaps it is my naivety but I really thought when I came in here this evening he would be able to say there was a package in place and that it was agreed. I cannot remember exactly the wording the Minister used the last time I raised this issue on the floor of the House but I think the phrase "in due course" was used before. That could have been six or nine months ago, because the last time I brought it up, the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, took the question. I explained how disappointed I was then. The Minister and I know this has gone on far too long. What does "in due course" mean? What can I say or what can the Minister say to these farmers? They are waiting and waiting and waiting. Are we talking about a month, or two months? Can the Minister even guarantee this will be done and dusted before the end of the year? Is that possible? This happened in 2020. Will there be compensation before 2023? Could we even guarantee today that that package would be there?

On another point, the Minister talked about the farm payments being kept under review for 2023. What does that mean? Let us say there was a compensation package. Is the Minister able to tell me how that might interact with their farm payments? I am not just disappointed; I cannot believe it is not completed. I am aware many people have worked hard on this and the Minister mentioned a number of local councillors and others but I cannot know what the delay is. Maybe the Minister can tell me and tell those landowners. Maybe there are too few of them and it is not important enough. Maybe, as I said, they did not march and shout, but God, it needs to be done.

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The landowners are important and they count. That is why both I and the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, travelled there and met the farmers directly. We made a commitment to them that we were going to work to put a package together. I had hoped to have it concluded at this stage but we have the outline of the package very clear. I and my officials are engaged with the Minister and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform at the moment on getting approval for it. We hope to get approval and get it soon. I hope to have this concluded by the end of the year.

I cannot give a clear guarantee as to when that will be because it is subject to agreement between my Department and that of Public Expenditure and Reform but we are fully committed to following through on the commitment we gave to the farmers concerned to bring this to a definitive conclusion. We know the very clear outline of what the package we are putting together is. I hope to get agreement between my Department and that of Public Expenditure and Reform on that soon. We want a situation that is going to bring a permanent outcome and permanent peace of mind to the farmers concerned. There is no need for farmers to march or protest on this because we are committed to following through on the commitment we have given. It is taking a bit longer than we had hoped but we will bring it to a final conclusion and one that brings peace of mind to the farmers concerned.

What happened to this community has been quite a traumatic event. It has affected the long-term capacity of all those landowners to use this land for agricultural purposes in future. As I said, the cost of moving in and clearing the land would be €20 million, which is simply unfeasible. It would be biologically dangerous as well given the potential impact on watercourses and the environment, so it is important we bring in a package that recognises the long-term impact on farming communities and on the local communities. We are expediting this and I hope to have it resolved shortly.

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Just before midnight Minister; well done.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 11.57 p.m. go dtí 9.12 a.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 5 Deireadh Fómhair 2022.

The Dáil adjourned at at 11.57 p.m. until 9.12 a.m. on Wednesday, 5 October 2022.