Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

First, the response of the Government and all of the agencies is a continuing one. As I said yesterday, the needs emerge and change as circumstances change, and we are still in the midst of a weather pattern which is causing flooding and rainfall, with all the attendant problems in terms of the overflow from our river systems and how that is affecting many people up and down the country. I was making the point that there are certain parts of the Shannon basin yet to be affected that will undoubtedly be affected based on previous experience. Everyone is very conscious of the fact that this is a changing and evolving situation, and, as we get on top of one problem, other problems emerge. We are in that situation as matters stand.

Second, in regard to the question of providing assistance, the Government made a decision yesterday about the opening of a funding line, initially of €10 million. It requires a Government decision for that humanitarian aid to be put in place under the legislation, which is the responsibly of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs. That is in addition to existing arrangements regarding urgent needs payments and exceptional needs payments, which are provided at the discretion of the community welfare officer in the normal way in which supplementary welfare is provided, as people will be aware.

Obviously, one seeks to avoid an overly bureaucratic response but, at the same time, one has to be accountable for public moneys. Therefore, it is based on the experience and discretion of the community welfare service that this humanitarian aid fund is being provided, augmenting not replacing or substituting existing funding arrangements in respect of urgent and exceptional needs payments, which, as the Deputy knows, can be provided as an emergency response in respect of food, clothing, bedding or whatever would be required in the immediate term. The community welfare officers will be working closely with other agencies in the locality which would have a very clear knowledge and understanding of who is being affected on a daily basis, as the situation evolves in local situations.

Clearly, the Government made an initial response yesterday to enable that to happen, and the Minister for Social and Family Affairs was working on that during the course of yesterday. As I said, now that this funding line has been authorised, the social welfare service can proceed to have a further line of funding available, in addition to what is already in place under the social welfare Vote at present, through the various schemes to which I referred.

With regard to the question of the banks, the Tánaiste is meeting with the Small Business Forum today to see what issues arise in that regard and to see in what way Government can assist. It is a question of trying to meet local situations as they arise, as demands and needs become identified, and as the assessments that are now being undertaken proceed.

See this speech in context