Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not know where the Deputy has been since this happened or who has been briefing him. He should be aware that the Government is providing €430 million for flood risk over the next six years. There are flood relief works under construction and at design stage. The Deputy understands that major flood relief schemes must go through a planning process and take many factors into account, including hydrological surveys. We cannot just move in with our bulldozers and announce what we are going to do. The humanitarian scheme that has existed since 2012 has €10 million allocated to it and the community welfare officers on the ground are entitled to go to the affected houses and discuss with the people whether their houses are habitable or whether they have to move out, and provide the basic cash for items such as beds, clothes and fridges. This is available now and is happening today as we speak. The Department of Defence is co-ordinating the response strategy to put a structure in place with the Red Cross in order that effective payments can be made to small businesses that have been flooded and their Christmas destroyed by the force of nature. Deputy Martin seems to think we can deal with this as it happens.

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