Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

19. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a hardship fund will be put in place for farmers who have been adversely affected by flooding and will miss cutting their first crops of fodder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8539/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In response to the extensive flooding during the recent winter, I introduced a number of measures to assist farmers in those areas worst affected by the floods. At the outset emergency feedstuff was made available through the provision of supplementary concentrate feed, including over the Christmas period. A Fodder Aid scheme was also introduced to replace fodder supplies damaged or lost in floods. Support under this scheme applied to the loss of stored fodder such as silage, hay, straw and concentrates.

Loss of production potential of grassland due to flood damage was not eligible for support under either the Fodder Scheme or a subsequent Emergency Flood Damage Relief Measure. The latter provided for targeted support to those that bore the brunt of the flooding through loss of livestock, movement of livestock off-holding or damage to farm buildings and fittings.

The risk of flooding is an ongoing problem for farming on the banks of the river Shannon. To develop solutions to this problem the Government approved the Terms of Reference for the Shannon Flood Risk State Agency Co-ordination Working Group under the chairmanship of the Office of Public Works. This group brings together in a co-ordinated manner, all statutory organisations and functions that involve the Shannon Catchment.

At national level, the Office of Public Works, in close partnership with all Local Authorities, is working to deliver on the objectives of the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management programme. This programme covers the assessment of flood risk, planning of flood risk management and implementation of flood-mitigation measures in all areas potentially affected by future flooding.