Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed had announced after flash flooding in Donegal in August that a compensation scheme would be put in place for farmers.

The Department of Agriculture received roughly 318 applications for the compensation scheme which closed at the end of September and sent a number of inspectors to assess the flood damage done on farms.

But according to the Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesperson and TD for Donegal Charlie McConalogue, farmers in Donegal have yet to receive any compensation.

“The floods which hit in August were unprecedented, and left many farms on the Inishowen peninsula extensively damaged. Large swathes of land were submerged and the subsequent wet weather has meant that many of these farms are still completely waterlogged,” McConalogue said.

“Shortly after the event, the Department of Agriculture opened up a compensation scheme and despite the fact that the closing date for applications was the end of September, not one farmer has received payment.”

“This is an extremely serious situation given the scale of the devastation caused. Many of those who applied for funding are reliant on their farm income and are now facing into Christmas with a vastly reduced revenue stream. This is a deeply stressful situation for them and their families.”

No crop cover

One of the main issues raised by McConalogue in relation to compensation is the lack of cover for crop damage.

The deputy said: “The fact that some farmers have been excluded from the scheme is completely unacceptable. I have been in touch with a number of farmers who lost grain and potato crops and who have been told that they are not eligible to apply for compensation.”

“This is ridiculous. These farmers are reliant on their crops and have been left with no support.”

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