Should Ireland use rural development money to deal with natural disasters?
Fianna Fáil has criticised the Government for leaving flooding damage measures outside the EU-supported RDP, but Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed says national measures are sufficient.
Flooding at An Grianan Estate, Burnfoot, Co Donegal, last month. \ Clive Wasson
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In reply to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil’s agriculture spokesman Charlie McConalogue, Minister Creed said that Ireland’s 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme (RDP) does not contain a measure for restoring agricultural production potential damaged by natural disasters or prevention measures.
EU regulations allow member states to allocate RDP funding to help with disasters such as flooding. However, “following detailed analysis and public consultation, it was concluded that because of its geographic position, Ireland is not generally prone to suffering from natural disasters and that preexisting nationally funded measures are considered to be sufficient to address any possibilities,” Minister Creed said.
’Freak flooding’
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Instead, he said that his Department dealt with adverse climatic events such as the recent freak flooding in north Donegal through national measures such as the dedicated scheme opened last week. Redirecting RDP funding to such schemes would require submitting an amendment to the European Commission, which would “take considerable time to complete”, Minister Creed added.
The money is there to fund a permanent scheme to safeguard farmers from losses incurred as a result of adverse weather events
Deputy McConalogue said it was difficult to understand the Minister’s decision not to include compensation packages for farmers hit by wet weather and flooding in the RDP. “Considering the huge under-spend in RDP schemes, as well as the fact that many other schemes are running behind target, the money is there to fund a permanent scheme to safeguard farmers from losses incurred as a result of adverse weather events. This option needs to be included on the next RDP amendment submitted to Brussels by the Government,” the Fianna Fáil TD said.
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In reply to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil’s agriculture spokesman Charlie McConalogue, Minister Creed said that Ireland’s 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme (RDP) does not contain a measure for restoring agricultural production potential damaged by natural disasters or prevention measures.
EU regulations allow member states to allocate RDP funding to help with disasters such as flooding. However, “following detailed analysis and public consultation, it was concluded that because of its geographic position, Ireland is not generally prone to suffering from natural disasters and that preexisting nationally funded measures are considered to be sufficient to address any possibilities,” Minister Creed said.
’Freak flooding’
Instead, he said that his Department dealt with adverse climatic events such as the recent freak flooding in north Donegal through national measures such as the dedicated scheme opened last week. Redirecting RDP funding to such schemes would require submitting an amendment to the European Commission, which would “take considerable time to complete”, Minister Creed added.
The money is there to fund a permanent scheme to safeguard farmers from losses incurred as a result of adverse weather events
Deputy McConalogue said it was difficult to understand the Minister’s decision not to include compensation packages for farmers hit by wet weather and flooding in the RDP. “Considering the huge under-spend in RDP schemes, as well as the fact that many other schemes are running behind target, the money is there to fund a permanent scheme to safeguard farmers from losses incurred as a result of adverse weather events. This option needs to be included on the next RDP amendment submitted to Brussels by the Government,” the Fianna Fáil TD said.
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