The Irish Farmers Association is calling on the government to implement an action plan to reduce the risk of flooding.
IFA President Padraig Walshe, who is travelling to the West this afternoon to visit farm families worst affected by the severe flooding in recent days, said "we need to see the implementation of an Action Plan to address the root cause of the flooding, which will require a proper river maintenance programme that has been neglected for decades.”
Mr Walshe said the unprecedented flooding across the country was going to exacerbate the severe income and fodder crisis for farm families this winter and Teagasc and Government agencies must implement plans to address this looming crisis.
He added “in the immediate term, the farmers and households worst affected must be provided with priority assistance and the Government must bring forward a package of support measures to help families through this crisis.”