Shass Mountain payments welcome but they took too long

Sligo Leitrim TD Marian Harkin has welcomed the news that farmers and landowners affected by the Shass Mountain landslide are to receive compensation payments this week.

“I am delighted and relieved that these payments will eventually be made,” Ms Harkin said.

A landslide occurred in Shass Mountain close to the village of Drumkeeran in Co Leitrim on June 28, 2020. It followed heavy rain resulting in an area of blanket bog and forestry moving downhill with liquefied peat, vegetation and trees.

Some of the landslide material overflowed a local bridge eventually spreading out and settling on areas of farm and forestry in several townlands.

The TD added that while the payments are welcome, those affected by the landslide had to wait too long for them. “The landslide swept away part of the livelihoods of some farmers and had an impact on others. They have been extraordinarily patient as they waited for the State to assist them, meanwhile they had to bear the loss of income and put up with nearly three years of uncertainty,” the Deputy said.

“Now that the payments are about to be made, I recognize that for some the money involved is a reasonable amount. However, for others it won’t even come close to covering the enduring cost of the land and the income they lost.

"It is vital that farmers impacted in this way receive every assistance to access longer term environmental schemes, which would ensure some sort of long term income from the land which has been rendered unusable for a generation at least,” Ms Harkin concluded.