The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed that financial support payments have “not commenced” to farmers impacted by flooding in the Cooley Peninsula .

The Cooley Flood Damage Relief Scheme, which was launched in July,  aims to provide financial assistance to farmers in the Cooley Peninsula impacted by storms last October and November which resulted in unprecedented rainfall on already saturated ground in the region during 2023.

Many farmers in the area had to carry out extensive repair work on their land and holdings with many also reporting fodder shortages.

The terms of the Cooley Flood Damage Relief Scheme set out that financial assistance would be provided to farmers in “approved cases for the direct costs arising from instances of:

  • Restoration of agricultural land;
  • Repair or replacement to damaged fencing, gateways;
  • Loss or damage to fodder or fertiliser.

The scheme was only open to landowners who submitted a Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS)  application in 2023 and the closing date for applications to the scheme was July 31, 2024.

Flooding

In response to a parliamentary question tabled by Fianna Fáil TD for Cork south-west, Christopher O’Sullivan, Minister Charlie McConalogue said that his department has provided a number of schemes in support of extreme weather or flooding in recent years.

“These include the Shass Landslide Scheme, the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme, the Unharvested Crop Loss Support Scheme, the Fodder Transport Support Scheme and most recently the Cooley Flood Damage Relief Scheme.

“Payment have not commenced for the Fodder Transport Support Scheme and the Cooley Flood Damage Relief Scheme,” the minister added.

Source: DAFM

Last month the Fine Gael TD for Sligo-Leitrim, Frank Feighan, queried the minister on the “reason for the extent of the delays under the Fodder Transport Support Scheme”.

Minister McConalogue said that the fodder support measure had been “operated in conjunction with the co-operative movement and as outlined in the terms and conditions of the measure, a bulk payment will issue to each participating co-operative in respect of associated and verified individual claims”.

“A total of 682 applications were received by my department, for which a number of administrative checks are required to be completed before any bulk payments to participating co-operatives can be considered. Immediately on completion of all checks, bulk payments will commence issuing to co-operatives and individual claimants will be notified,” the minister stated.