Funding needs to be provided to farmers to "replace sheds that were taken away" as a result of Storm Éowyn, the Independent Ireland TD, Michael Fitzmaurice has said.

Deputy Fitzmaurice told the Dáil that "sheds just disappeared in some places".

"There are cows which will be calving soon where the cowshed is gone. This is where we need action," he urged.

The Roscommon-Galway TD also described the "devastation" which the storm wrought on families around the country, particularly in the west, north west and the midlands.

He criticised the government response to Storm Éowyn but praised the "community response from contractors and farmers who went out with their tractors and loaders" to clear roads.

The Independent Ireland TD also questioned how the management of forests may have contributed to the fallout from the storm and said "corridors need to be provided" in relation to forestry.

"Forests have caused huge problems right around this country. The corridors are not 35m on each side and the trees have taken down the main three-phase lines.

"We have spent a great deal of money on broadband right around this country. The trees have devastated and made bits of the National Broadband Ireland (NBI) broadband system," Deputy Fitzmaurice added.

Separately Deputy Fitzmaurice also called in the Dáil for inspections in the agricultural sector to be "suspended for one month".

Last week the Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine, Martin Heydon told Agriland he had asked inspectors to carry out farm inspections “on a case-by-case basis” following Storm Éowyn.

However Deputy Fitzmaurice said that all inspections should be postponed instead of farmers "being given a promise that the inspectors will go easy".

"If we do not do that, we will kick the people who have suffered torture," he added.