A forestry farmer in Galway has called on Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Michael Healy-Rae, to help provide redress to the forestry sector after his farm was left “decimated” by Storm Éowyn.
Tom Cunningham from Glinsk, Co. Galway, planted a 30ac farm 30 years ago. Last week’s storm has left him, and many others in the forestry industry, with “no Plan B” on how to recover from the storm.
“It’s not completely flattened, but what isn’t flattened is loose, it’s all mangled. I haven’t got through to the saw mill yet, because there are hundreds of acres here in Galway decimated. It’s a sad sight to see,” Cunningham told Agriland.
Cunningham said he was unable to get insurance for his farm, because storms like Storm Éowyn are considered an “act of God”.
“The night of the storm we didn’t sleep a wink. My fence came down, my polytunnel was flattened, but these are all small things. The forestry is the big one,” Cunningham said.
“You get on in years and years you look forward to a payout day, a pension scheme, whatever phrase you want to use, now those dreams are shattered,” he added.
Minister Healy-Rae
The clean up hasn’t started for forestry farmers in the west of Ireland, because many are still lacking essential resources.
“We’re a full week without electricity, we’ve no internet. I have tried ringing different individuals but can’t get through, I’ve no phone coverage because the lines are still down,” Cunningham said.
The Galway farmer has called on the government to provide a form of redress to the forestry industry.
“We’ve seen with the floodings in Cork and Kerry, there was a government promise the next day to redress the problem. You can rebuild a house in six months, but this is 30 years of growing and there’s no scheme in place.”
Minister Michael Healy-Rae has been given special responsibility for forestry by the government. For Cunningham, that offers an ounce of hope.
“I’ll be calling on the government to flex their political muscles, the Michael Healy-Raes of this world. I will be seriously disappointed if we can’t get a bit of back up from the likes of that man.”
Going forward, Cunningham said he has no long-term plan.
“Some jokers say you’ll never be stuck for firewood. It’s not very funny. The shock and the cleanout has been so hard, we haven’t thought beyond today and tomorrow,” he concluded.