Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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407. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application (details supplied) in County Mayo for funding under his Department's hardship grant scheme. [1363/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has no record of receiving an application from the person named in relation to flooding relief.

The recent severe flooding caused widespread flooding of farmland and has impacted on a significant number of farmers. My Department is urgently addressing these problems through a range of actions.

The Animal Welfare Helpline has been operating throughout the period of the floods, including on Christmas Day and New Years Day. Arising from farm visits by Teagasc and Department personnel, as well as requests to the animal welfare Helpline, emergency arrangements were put in place to provide feed under Department Emergency Feed Provision Arrangements for the worst affected farms. Almost 300 tons of concentrate feed has now been provided to over 100 farmers, avoiding welfare issues arising.

In addition to these emergency provisions funding has been provided by the Government for a new Fodder Aid scheme for farmers who have suffered fodder losses as a result of this flooding. Support under this scheme will apply to the loss of silage, hay, straw and concentrates where there is evidence of damage caused by flooding during the months of December 2015 and January 2016. It is anticipated that assistance will be provided to up to 300 farmers and will be subject to the de minimis provisions of EU state aid rules.

Application Forms for the scheme are available on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s website, the Department’s local office network and from Teagasc offices.

It should be noted that, to ensure swift payments under the scheme, the closing date for applications for this scheme is Friday 22 January 2016.

A further measure is under consideration to cover a very small number of farmers who have experienced extreme hardship, including through the loss of livestock. Any such measure must comply with European Commission State Aid rules.