The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) has called for the application deadline for the Shass Landslide Relief Scheme to be extended beyond November 30.
INHFA’s Co. Leitrim chair Martin Feehily said that more time is needed to get clarity on whether or not the affected lands may be considered as eligible agricultural areas for inclusion in an application for the 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS).
According to Feehily, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) told the INHFA at a meeting on November 22, that it would seek clarity on this point from the EU Commission.
“This must be done so that the affected farmers and landowners can make an application based on the true facts.
“Farmers need answers to these very serious questions,” Feehily said.
According to Feehily, the details of the aid package for those impacted states that the affected areas will not be considered eligible for the BISS scheme.
He raised concerns about the positions farmers could end up in, if they drew down the aid payments but remained ineligible for BISS and other related schemes.
“It’s unfair and unjust to expect anyone to sign up to terms and conditions of a scheme when the DAFM has agreed to seek clarity on a critical element of it, which is whether or not the affected lands can be considered as agricultural areas going forward.
“The minister must intervene and extend the application deadline until certainty is provided by the Commission, and a workable solution is found for all sides,” Feehily said.
Shass Landslide Aid Package
The Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue announced an aid package worth €500,000 last week (Tuesday, November 22), for those whose land was impacted during the Shass Landslide in 2020.
Those affected will be able to qualify for payments of up to €20,000 each, which can be broken down into four elements of compensation.
First is a payment of €5,000 to each of the 19 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) applicants and four forest contract holders, in recognition of the hardship caused by the landslide.
Secondly, those impacted will receive a payment of €12,355/ha of agricultural land, to leave the over spilled peat and debris in situ, and manage the land sustainably.
Thirdly, the package includes provision for the fencing off of the overspill areas. Farmers will be able to draw down a payment of €6.75/linear metre of fencing and €343.85 for access gateways to complete these works.
Finally, in relation to forest reconstitution, a payment of €4,500/ha will be available, €3,500 of which will be payable in year one of the scheme, with the remainder payable in year four.