Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2023
401. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the rationale for the maximum limit of 15 hectares in the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme; if he will consider increasing this limit to 25 hectares to support a greater number of farmers affected by flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49968/23]
View answerFollowing exceptional flooding in the Shannon Callows during summer 2023, on the 7th November 2023, I announced the launch of the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to support farmers who have been affected by fodder loss due to flooding in the region during summer 2023. I have allocated funding of approximately €800,000 which will allow for a payment rate of up to €325 per hectare for LPIS parcels impacted as determined by my Department's Area Monitoring System and which were claimed by farmers on their 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application.
The maximum limit of 15 hectares is designed to distribute funding evenly across impacted farmers whilst maintaining a sufficient payment rate per hectare. Increasing the limit to 25 hectares would not result in supporting a greater number of farmers but rather would result in reducing the payment rate per hectare and therefore result in less support for those farmers with 15 hectares or less of flood impacted land.
In the coming days, my Department will be contacting the farmers the Area Monitoring System has identified as having been impacted by the flooding and providing them with a simple application form for them to sign and return if they wish to be apply for the support. Farmers will be asked to confirm they have lost fodder as a result of the extended flooding in order to receive payment. It is my intention that payments will commence in December 2023.
