The IFA has requested an urgent meeting with the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, to seek national and European help for farmers. The new Farm Assistance Scheme to aid about 14,000 of the poorest farmers does not start until the middle of the year.
FBD, the company which handles most of the farm insurance business in the Republic, has estimated that storm damage claims, especially in the west and north, could reach £8 million.
The IFA is also seeking immediate action to assist farmers in managing slurry at farmyard level, following a warning of possible health risks from spreading it on wet ground. The appeal was made by Mr Aidan Larkin, chairman of the environment committee.