Inspections for ACRES and other environmental schemes should be deferred for six months to give farmers a chance to repair damaged fences and walls, and remove fallen trees, Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice has claimed.

The Roscommon-Galway TD has also called for an emergency support fund to assist farmers whose sheds were damaged or destroyed by storm Éowyn.

Fitzmaurice said the farming community in the west, northwest and north midlands needed “urgent support”.

He outlined a number of measures that “must be introduced” to help support farmers in the worst affected areas of the country.

These include:

  • An agricultural support fund for the repair of sheds damaged by the storm. Many of these structures were not insured due to their age, Fitzmaurice explained.
  • Suspension of all Department of Agriculture and Bord Bia inspections for a period of at least one month.
  • The provision of a TAMS grant scheme for generators for farmers.
  • All ACRES and environmental schemes inspections deferred for six months to give farmers a chance to repair storm damage.
  • Extend online schemes such as sheep census due to lack of internet and broadband coverage in many areas.