Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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171. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if additional funding is being provided to his Department this year due to additional expenditure arising following storm Éowyn; if additional funding is provided, the programmes and schemes that will benefit from this additional expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14562/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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A number of measures have already been introduced to assist people impacted by Storm Éowyn.

I announced a targeted re-opening of the 2025 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector to deal only with growers proposing investments in response to the damage caused by the Storm. This targeted re-opening responded to the call for assistance to growers impacted by Storm Éowyn who could apply for grant aid to invest in horticultural buildings and equipment to help their business recover from damage caused by the storm.

The Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings.

I recently opened a new, short, TAMS tranche for a three-week period to deal specifically with storm-related damage on farms. This tranche will close this coming Friday, 28 March, and the specific items in respect of which applications are being accepted are (i) backup PTO Generators, (ii) sheep, bovine and equine fencing, (iii) wood/biomass chippers and (iv) mulchers. I would urge farmers to submit applications where appropriate, and I will ensure that they are processed as a priority.

I have also indicated that I intend to introduce grant aid support under TAMS for replacement of roofs. The application process for this specific investment will be available later this year.

My colleague, Minister Healy-Rae, and I, established the Forest Windblow Taskforce in the immediate aftermath of Storm Eowyn, with the express purpose of ensuring that storm-damaged forests are managed safely and appropriately. The Taskforce is comprised of stakeholders representing forest owners, forestry companies, Teagasc, Coillte and others, and is meeting on a regular basis. It is informing the Department’s, and the wider sector’s, response to recent storms, with particular emphasis on dealing safely with the large areas of forest that have been blown down. This includes the prioritisation of felling licences in respect of storm damage, and examination of any issues that arise in relation to the harvesting, haulage and sawmilling of the blown trees.

My Department has accelerated the process for issuing a felling licence, and is prioritising those licences needed to deal with fallen trees. We have also issued guidance to forest owners and registered foresters advising them to identify applications needed for storm-damaged sites. It is the case that over 63% of affected forests have licences in place already, with another 11% in the system, prioritised for processing. I would encourage those remaining 25% of affected forest owners to engage with their foresters and to submit a licence application to my Department as soon as possible, where it will be prioritised.

These measures are being funded from within my departments vote for 2025.