The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has welcomed support for farmers in the Shannon Callows but added that “deeper flooding issues” must be addressed.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue yesterday (Tuesday, November 7) secured Cabinet approval for a €800,000 scheme to help farmers who lost fodder due to exceptional flooding in the region.
Payments will be made at a rate of €325/ha for farmers affected by fodder loss and will be paid on a minimum of 1ha and a maximum of 15ha.
Minister McConalogue said that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) will shortly be in contact directly with affected farmers.
Shannon Callows
IFA president Tim Cullinan acknowledged the support for the farmers in the Shannon Callows and said the €325/ha payment “will go some way to alleviating the hardship caused by the weather conditions”.
“It’s important that the funding is released as soon as possible and that the conditions to apply are not too onerous,” he said.
The IFA president said that concerns about flooding in the region were raised by the association with the OPW as far back as July, but not enough was done.
“The lack of action taken by the management authorities of the River Shannon is not acceptable.
“The damage done by the flooding meant thousands of acres of silage and hay were destroyed and unsalvageable,” Cullinan said.
“In the longer term, an agency must be established which would include local farmers to manage the River Shannon to rectify the problems.
“This must be established without delay and cannot be put on the long finger anymore,” he added.