Many farmers along the Shannon Callows claim that they have not received funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), as it rolls out compensation for farmers affected by damaged land due to excessive flooding.
DAFM used Copernicus Sentinel Satellite data to identify the presence of flooding on land parcels within the Shannon Callows Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
Inspections took place during the period July 2 to September 29, 2023, generally three to four days apart.
According to the department, there were 30 incidents of flooding in this timeframe.
The department then sent out expression of interest letters to affected farmers.
According to Liam Broderick from the Save Our Shannon Organisation, many farmers with flooded land did not receive a letter.
Save Our Shannon Organisation has sent DAFM almost 100 names of farmers without letters, which the organisation collected.
“Now what we think happened, was that when the eye in the sky was looking down on land this summer, even though land was flooded, you could still see the grass above water.
“So the eye in the sky was showing a field of green, but underneath it there was probably 18 inches of water,” Broderick said.
Compensation requirements
DAFM stated that it was a requirement that farmers had a Land Parcel Indentification System (LPIS) claimed on their 2023 Basic Income for Sustainability Scheme (BISS) as forage in order to acquire compensation.
The land also must have been flooded on at least six out of the 30 occurrences within the timeframe.
The Shannon Callows Flood Scheme was then announced on November 7, 2023 with a budget of €800,000.
The department sent out 277 expression of interest letters.
Department officials also contacted farmers who had not replied by the closing dates to advise them that if they wished to apply, they needed to do so as soon as possible.
As of December 21, 2023, 268 applicants have been paid €736,398, according to DAFM.
Of the nine not paid, three of them have yet to apply, while a further six have applied but checks are still ongoing, including ensuring that the farmers BISS application is in order for payment.
The payment rate is €325/ha up to a maximum of 15ha, so €4,875.
The department confirmed that appeals have been received from farmers who did not receive an expression of interest letter and application form, and these are currently being reviewed.
DAFM reminded fatrmers appealing that if they have no LPIS parcels within the Shannon Callows SAC, they are not eligible for compensation.
Shannon Callows
Farmers lost “hundreds and hundreds” of acres this summer, trying their best to salvage grass, and have struggled for fodder this winter.
Some farmers had to sell their animals due to the land damage.
According to Broderick, floods have returned to the Callows in the past number of days, with severe heavy rainfall during Storm Gerrit.
“We would describe this year’s flooding as the worst we’ve seen in our lives. The worst and the longest,” Broderick said.