A new initiative to regenerate farming in the Cooley Peninsula was announced by the agricultural advisory body, Teagasc, in Co Louth yesterday.
It will provide intensive specialist advisory and support services for the 200 families affected by the foot-and-mouth outbreak in the peninsula.
The Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, a TD for Louth, inaugurated the project. "The people of Cooley have been through an unparalleled trauma. They are facing into a long period of adjustment where support will be vital," he said.
Representatives of both Teagasc and the Department of Agriculture have visited the 200 affected families in the past fortnight to assess their needs.
"The priority is to help the families come to terms with the trauma, protect their livelihoods over the coming months and then embark on a phased farm and household income regeneration programme over the coming years," said Mr Oliver Dillon, chief agricultural officer with Teagasc in Louth.
Four specialist advisers have been assigned to the project and normal Teagasc charges are being waived.
Mr Dillon said the immediate focus would be on protecting incomes. "Farmers must ensure that de-stocking compensation is put aside for restocking and must not be treated as disposable income."
Teagasc will provide practical help with farm and household budgets, as well as identifying alternative sources of income and managing land while farms are without stock.
"We will be encouraging farmers to take a fresh look at their farming system. For some, scaling down of the sheep enterprise may be an option, for others it could be availing of the early retirement scheme," Mr Dillon added.
Mr Ahern said his Department, as well as the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreat ion along with Fas, Enterprise Ireland and the Dundalk Institute of Technology, would work closely with Teagasc and the other farming organisations.