Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

It is not the first time that we have had such a fund. We had one in 2004 to respond to the flooding in Clonakilty and Clonmel and in 2002 to respond to the flooding around the Tolka in Dublin. We have established a framework. We are anxious to draw on local knowledge, not just on the community welfare officers but the local authorities, whether the engineer, the town clerk depending on which was most appropriate, the local gardaí and the local social welfare office. There may be instances where those people could say that a whole estate was not insured because it was flooded before. That type of local knowledge is vital for us in distributing the fund.

We must give priority to those most in need, those who are homeless, who have children, who are elderly-----

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