Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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809. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a dedicated hardship fund will be made available to the farmers affected by the flooding and landslides in Drumkeeran, County Leitrim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14687/20]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I visited Drumkeerin on Monday 13th July to see the situation first-hand and to meet local farmers and public representatives. I have asked officials in my Department to undertake preliminary reports on the farming and forestry related impacts on the bog slide and I have been liaising with my colleague Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan in the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, on this matter. In the first instance, the broader inquiry and issues arising from the bog slide are a matter for the Leitrim Country Council, and I will continue to liaise with officials in this regard.

I have assured farmers that their direct payment scheme payments are covered by the existing force majeure regulations in place. The terms and conditions for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme include provision for force majeure cases, and these provisions would include instances such as the recent bog slide. Where a farmer is concerned that this event might have an impact on their scheme payments, they should contact the Department to inform it of the circumstances of their own case and to provide any evidence of the impact on their own landholding (Geotag Photos). Farmers can write to the Direct Payments Unit, Government Offices, Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise or ring 076 106 4420. This will ensure that the Department is aware of cases which may be impacted and all such cases will be examined individually.