The Department of Agriculture has visited farms hit by flooding to assess the need for alterations or relocation under upcoming Government schemes, Minister Michael Creed has said.

Officials have conducted a seasibility study in advance of a potential Voluntary Farm Building Relocation scheme, to work alongside a similar scheme announced by the Government in 2017 to help people move from homes affected by flooding.

"My Department has evaluated a range of at-risk farmyards, impacted by flooding, to see if any alternative remedial works can be undertaken to protect farm buildings at risk of flooding and is currently considering this evaluation," Minister Creed said in reply to a parliamentary question from Roscommon-Galway independent TD Denis Naughten.

This indicates that the scheme might cover works to prevent flooding as an alternative to relocation.

Farmyards that are vulnerable to flooding need to be either protected or relocated

Deputy Naughten, who was Minister for Communication, Climate Action and Environment in 2017, was reported to have pushed for wider inclusion of properties in flood relocation schemes at the time. Homes and farms in his consistuency were severly hit when the Shannon river burst its banks in recent years.

“There is no doubt that local communities and the farming community in particular have been hit by our changing climate, and farmyards that are vulnerable to flooding need to be either protected or relocated,” said Deputy Naughten.

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