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The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has said that “lessons have to be learned” to prevent water and electricity outages on farms in future storms.
It comes as IFA deputy president Alice Doyle met with IFA Connacht chair Brendan Golden and the five IFA county chairs in the region in Carrick-on-Shannon on Friday to discuss the continuing fallout from storm Éowyn.
The group met with the ESB and Uisce Éireann to discuss solutions and reconnections for farmers affected by the storm.
Doyle said that there must be a whole review to see how we have ended up in this situation.
“There is no doubt that the storm was a significant event, but lessons have to be learned,” she said.
“While the short-term target must be on restoring water and electricity, there must also be a focus on preparing better for an event like this in the future.”
Review
The IFA called for the new Government to establish a taskforce, involving all stakeholders, to address the vulnerabilities this storm has brought to light.
“There is a real fear that the focus will move off these issues until it happens again. This cannot be the case,” added Doyle.
Meanwhile, Brendan Golden said farmers were experiencing real hardship caring for their animals without power or water.
“Farmers are under massive stress, as are all people in rural communities who are without power or water. We must improve the infrastructure to ensure that we don’t have this impact again,” he said.
INHFA reaction
The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has advised farmers to prioritise safety on all storm damage repairs.
The association is warning farmers and contractors that many sheds and other buildings might be damaged from the storm, which could have weakened them.
INHFA national president Vincent Roddy said that farmers should plan repairs carefully.
“Ensure that safety is a key priority for [farmers] and for any contractor they employ,” he said.
“It is vital that a full assessment is done on these buildings prior to the commencement of any work.”
Costs
Other concerns after the storm damage also include the funding of possible repair works.
While insurance will cover the cost for some farmers, there is a concern that many farmers may not be in a position to claim from insurance.
Roddy called for “State support”, as well as more leeways with the postage of applications for upcoming schemes.
He called for “an extension to the sheep census, which has a closing date for postal applications of 31 January”.
“We're looking for this date to be extended to 14 February, which is currently the closing date for online submissions.”
In addition, the INHFA has urged the Department of Agriculture to halt all on-farm inspections for the next two weeks so as to not add to the considerable pressure many farmers face.
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