Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator McGreehan for raising the issue of farms flooding in north Louth. I understand that the Minister has discussed it with her a number of times. We recognise that there has been some damage to agricultural property due to flooding last year and in previous years. In such circumstances, farmers should first liaise with their insurers. However, the Minister acknowledges the representations from Senator McGreehan regarding her request for consideration of a Government scheme and he continues to liaise with her on the matter. There are flood schemes that can be rolled out by the Departments of Social Protection and Enterprise, Trade and Employment where areas meet the threshold of severe flood damage, but there is no such scheme in place for agriculture. This is something that the Minister is reflecting on, given the challenges around adverse weather, future climate change and the potential need to have a scheme designed that can be utilised in such circumstances. However, such consideration does not impact on the primary responsibility of farmers and business people to take steps to ensure that their properties are insured for these potential scenarios. The Minister commits to continuing to liaise with the Senator on this issue.

Undoubtedly, 2023 was a difficult year for farmers across the country. We saw the wettest March and July on record. Sandwiched between those two months, many farmers experienced drought. Many areas saw floods during August, October, November and December. The Government is fully aware of the effects of these floods and of the subsequent devastation and stress caused to the farming community as well as to the broader community in impacted areas.

Climate change predictions show that we can expect more frequent and intense severe weather events. As a society, we need to plan for the future. In this regard, the Government is assessing the appropriate actions to take to mitigate future flooding events in various areas through climate adaptation. Climate adaptation is the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects. It is not a one-time emergency response, but a series of proactive measures that are taken over time to build resilience to the impacts of climate change, ultimately minimising the cost of climate change and maximising any opportunities that may arise.

As part of this climate adaptation process, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, last week launched a public consultation on the national adaptation framework. That consultation will remain open until 19 February to gather feedback from relevant stakeholders – this will include farmers – and the public on the draft framework. A revised draft will then be prepared and submitted to the Government for approval later this year. My Department will have to update the sectoral adaptation plans for agriculture, seafood and forestry. Importantly, the Office of Public Works will have to update the flood risk management sectoral adaptation plan. I encourage fellow Senators, the general public and, in particular, those who have been impacted by recent severe weather events to contribute to the current public consultation.

It has not been possible to compensate all of those impacted by last year’s weather. However, my Department has a number of schemes available that are assisting farmers to adapt to climate change. For example, under ACRES, which is our new national flagship agri-environmental scheme, there are a number of measures to slow the flow of water. These include tree planting on riparian margins, catch crops and overwinter stubble actions as well as the maintenance of riparian zones.Under the scheme, hedgerow and tree planting in strategic locations can also act to slow overland flow. In addition, our woodlands and forests can act as natural means of flood attenuation and several forest measures and schemes now incorporate a focus on water-related issues, including woodlands for water and the agro-forestry scheme. Furthermore, my Department secured €9.53 million from the EU agriculture reserve, which is being distributed between the tillage sector - € 7.1 million - and the horticulture sector - €2.3 million.

The EU agriculture reserve allocation for tillage is being topped up by a further €7 million. The best support we can provide for those impacted by flooding is to work together to mitigate the risk by future-proofing possible flood events.