Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes. I know that a tiered arrangement applies. As politicians, we pick up perceptions. My perception of this scheme is that it does not do what was intended and that the spirit of the scheme is not being delivered to the people most in need who were affected by the recent flooding, as also happened in the aftermath of the flooding in 2012. The reason so little of the money has been spent to date is because so few people have been able to access it. That is a fault of the scheme rather than those administering it. The criteria around the scheme are too strict. There is also too much bureaucracy involved. For example, the owners of a bed and breakfast facility, which is also their home, are precluded from applying for assistance because the property is, in part, a business.

There are many grey areas. Of all the Departments that exercise discretion the Department of Social Protection is the top and I am aware that community welfare officers frequently exercise discretion.

I live in Clonakilty, which is a flood-prone area. My office is in Bandon, which is a flood-prone area and was flooded twice in December. Deputy Harrington and I are from the same constituency. Skibbereen is another town in our constituency that is prone to flooding. We know more than a thing or two about flooding. My sense is that this scheme does not work. I have a negative interpretation which is why I requested today's meeting and I thank the Chair for accommodating that.

Has the scheme been reviewed since its inception in 2012? What has been learned from that and what recommendations have come from it, if that is the case? If not, I would like to see it being reviewed overall. I appreciate that we, as public representatives, get the negative views. I am sure that people who were successfully dealt with through the scheme have not come to my office or that of my colleague, Deputy Harrington, but those who were refused did. I get that sense of frustration from many of the refusals.