The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) was accused of being in “absolute fairytale land” today (Monday, January 22) by the Fianna Fáil senator, Erin McGreehan during a heated clash with Minister of State, Pippa Hackett, in the Seanad.
Senator McGreehan said she wanted to highlight in the Seanad the plight of north Louth farmers “who have been severely impacted by the recent floods and the importance of providing financial assistance to these farmers”.
She said recent floods had “left a trail of destruction” and that this “catastrophe has left many farmers not knowing how to rebuild their lives or their businesses”.
“Financial assistance is essential to farmers to repair and replace damaged equipment and infrastructure.
“It is also essential to support farmers as we move into the new season which, as the minister of state knows, brings new challenges and responsibilities.
“Lambing is starting in north Louth. People are getting their fields ready for silage, tillage or whatever they will be doing from spring onwards,” the senator added.
DAFM
She also told Minister Hackett that she felt “very disappointed” and let down by DAFM because “not one departmental official” had got back to her when she had raised, with the department, the plight of north Louth farmers who had been impacted by recent floods.
In response Minister Hackett told the Seanad that the government was “fully aware of the effects of these floods and of the subsequent devastation and stress caused to the farming community”.
“We recognise that there has been some damage to agricultural property due to flooding last year and in previous years,” she added.
The minister told Senator McGreehan that it was the “primary responsibility of farmers and business people to take steps to ensure that their properties” are insured for adverse weather and future climate change.
“It has not been possible to compensate all of those impacted by last year’s weather.
“However, my department has a number of schemes available that are assisting farmers to adapt to climate change.
“The best support we can provide for those impacted by flooding is to work together to mitigate the risk by future-proofing possible flood events,” Minister Hackett added.
But Senator McGreehan hit back at the minister in a heated exchange and said DAFM was in an “absolute fairy tale land”.
“These farmers are very well equipped and very well aware of the responsibilities to environmental mitigation.
“The minister of state is telling me that the farmers can look at mitigating measures, and that is an absolute cart of bull. I am not taking it,” Senator McGreehan said.