Up to 45 Roscommon farmers are faced with having entitlements cut from them by the Department of Agriculture as their land has been flooded and almost permanently underwater since 2015.

The farmers are based around the 600ac of Lough Finshinagh in Roscommon, a turlough where the water traditionally rose and fell over summer months. This allowed for grazing livestock and silage-making in summer, with about a quarter remaining as rough scrubland.

However, due to heavy rains, the turlough has not drained for a number of years and many of the farmers have received letters from the Department stating that they are overclaiming for land because it has not been actively farmed.

Land that would normally be farmed in summer now can’t be because it won’t drain

Independent TD for Roscommon-Galway Denis Naughten said the farmers had been the victims of “climatic changes” and should be paid for the land or have their farm payment entitlements stacked on their remaining land.

“Land that would normally be farmed in summer now can’t be because it won’t drain,” Naughten said.

The issue has been repeatedly raised by deputy Naughten with the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, who said in November his Department was reviewing new information provided to it on the matter.

’Frightening’ water rise

One of the farmers affected is local Independent councillor Laurence Fallon, who is concerned not just for farmers in the region but also the habitat.

“The land is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and home to rare plants and wildlife which is disappearing since the turlough went under permanent flood,” he said.

The Department of Heritage lists the turlough as home to endangered birds such as the curlew and other rare native species.

Some family homes have been flooded and farmyards submerged.

“It’s frightening because the water is six feet higher than usual in certain places and only seems to be rising. Already two family homes have been flooded and four farmyards submerged,” Fallon said.

He believes that a spillover should be created into the nearby River Shannon.

“The spillover has been costed at between €900,000 and €1.5m,” Fallon said.

“At the moment we’re facing a double tragedy of losing farmland and native flora and fauna.”

The costing was done by the Office of Public Works (OPW) but at this time has been dismissed as too expensive.