WITH parts of the country submerged under floods, some equestrian fixtures have been postponed or cancelled altogether.

Incessant rain has devastated homes, farms and land in large tracts across the Midlands, Connaught and Munster with the Government announcing a special €5 million fund to help flooded businesses cope.

Some hunt meets have had to be rescheduled due to waterlogged ground while flooded roads are adding to the difficulties of taking part in equestrian events hosted at many venues across parts of Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, the midlands and parts of Cork.

A special Animal Welfare Helpline has been set up by the Department of Agriculture and can be contacted at daily from 9am to 17.45pm including the weekend.

It can be contacted at:

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, stressed that first and foremost his concern is for the safety of farmers and their families. The Minister said that “farmers need to be extra vigilant and should avoid going into water logged/flooded farmland as there are hidden dangers”. He added that his Department is working closely with Teagasc to assess the situation on the ground in the worst affected areas and that agricultural advisors are available locally to give advice and support to farm families.

The Minister referred to the special arrangements that his Department has put in place to deal with animal welfare issues that might arise as a result of flooding. The main area of concern at the moment is the flooding of slurry tanks. In this regard, the Minister said that in emergency cases farmers are being permitted to pump some water out of flooded tanks and that they should liaise with their local Teagasc advisers for advice on these emergency arrangements. The Department has also announced a relaxation of some rules around the movement of animals where the welfare or lives of animals is threatened.