Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Bandon in west Cork provides a comparison. The town experienced a number of delays outside the control of either Cork County Council or the OPW. This added considerably to the length of time it took to deliver the scheme.

Of the online criticism often levelled at local authorities or the OPW on the work being delivered, it is never the people whose homes and businesses have been flooded who are the most vocal online with the charge our organisations are some sort of environmental heretics.

Regarding people not being contacted, in the aftermath of Storm Babet, which fortunately did not claim any lives here, unlike in the UK where four people died, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys immediately established the fund. It was available to allow people to get back into their homes. It provided for white goods, floor coverings, etc. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney announced the substantially increased business scheme as well. I encourage people who have not yet received help to approach their community officer. They were on the street in Midleton on the day I was there and met a lot of people. It was a similar situation when I was in Carlingford, County Louth. The community welfare officers issued initial payments to get people over the hump of trying to meet some of the costs.