Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is still 3 ft of snow outside my front door. Maybe we are a little more accustomed to it than others. A couple of my roofs are damaged. I appreciate the nature and extent of the damage.

Throughout the period of adverse weather conditions last week caused by Storm Emma, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine was directly involved in a co-ordinated response as a member of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group, NECG, convened by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the lead Department in severe weather incidents. While the south and east of the country bore the brunt of the storm and its after effects, many other areas experienced disruptions to daily life and the business of farming to a greater or lesser degree. The storm proved particularly disruptive as farmers coped with challenging weather conditions alongside the normal busy workload of spring, calving, lambing and winter feeding. The key on-farm challenges revolved around preventing the freezing up of water supplies at a critical time for lactating animals, the provision of fodder and shelter to stock against the worst of the snowfall and dangerous conditions for farmyards and environs. Delayed turn-out of some stock is increasing the demand for fodder and accommodation. The targeted, localised scheme to provide a subsidy for long-distance transport of fodder is open and available to farmers affected by fodder shortages in the west and north west of the country.

Throughout this period and immediately afterwards, departmental staff, together with Teagasc, worked at local level to ensure that the farming community had access to the best advice on how to cope with the numerous issues thrown up by the storm. To support those in more immediate difficulties the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine emergency phone line for animal welfare issues remained open and attended at all times. All requests for support were responded to. I recognise the significant assistance the farming community provided within the wider community at this busy time as farmers looked in on neighbours, cleared roads and helped to restore access to more remote rural areas.

At sectoral level, the Department worked closely with all stakeholders and with industry to minimise disruption to critical activities, including milk collection services. I am happy to be able to report that all major issues were resolved in the shortest possible time thanks to the co-ordinated efforts of farmers, industry and departmental staff. As the storm abated and the sector slowly returned to normal, it became clear that the main problem centred on damage to horticulture and other on-farm structures. Such structures will principally be insured and it is important that insurance companies respond rapidly and flexibly to the needs of their farmers customers. It is important to emphasise that public support cannot be provided for insurable risks.

In order to respond where possible to the issue of structural damage, it is appropriate to consider what aspects can be addressed through on-farm investment support schemes operated by the Department. With that in mind, I have asked the officials to explore the possibility of a targeted re-opening of the 2018 scheme of investment aid for the development of the commercial horticulture sector. The ability of the scheme to react to evolving situations is a key strength in supporting this highly dynamic sector. Support under the scheme is available for a range of capital structural investments such as improvement to structures and facilities. It does not cover replacement of stock or structural repairs. In respect of other farm structures such as sheds and outbuildings, I have instructed officials to fast-track the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, applications for farmers affected by the recent storm. I urge these farmers to make contact with the TAMS section of the Department directly or through the contact details for scheme which are available on our website.

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