Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

886. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when guidelines and details of grant aid will issue to farmers whose forestry plantations have been damaged by storm Éowyn; if this matter will be dealt with as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3485/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department recognises that wind events, such as the recent storms Darragh and Éowyn, can cause varying degrees of damage around the country, including damage to trees.

In advance of Storm Éowyn, a guidance document ‘Windblow and Storm damage Guidance for Forest Owners’ was updated and published on our website. In light of the significant damage caused by Storm Éowyn, a circular issued on 28 January 2025 to all Registered Foresters and stakeholders which included a link to this guidance document.

Alongside Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae, I have invited key stakeholders to participate in a taskforce to ensure that storm-damaged forests are managed safely and appropriately. The Taskforce will comprise stakeholders representing forest owners, forestry companies, Teagasc and Coillte. It will help to inform my Department’s, and the wider sector’s, response to the storms, with particular emphasis on dealing safely with the large areas of forest that have been blown down. This will include a plan around the prioritisation of felling licences in respect of storm damage, and an examination of any issues that arise in relation to the harvesting, haulage and sawmilling of the blown trees.

My Department and Coillte have begun assessing the damage caused by the recent storms using satellite imagery, and this will help to inform any necessary next steps.