Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As I said earlier, it is essentially a three phase process. First is the immediate emergency, for which payments tend to be small, covering things like foodstuffs and essentials that may have been destroyed or contaminated as a consequence of the flood. In the second phase, it is up to people and it depends on how quickly the floodwaters recede. Often people may stay elsewhere while leaving one person in the house. It may be some weeks before they then claim for material damage to items in the house. Such items can range from floorboards to white goods and electrical goods and furniture. The third phase is when more substantial work may be required to the property. In that case, there will almost always be some engineering or technical building advice required. If the severity and the repetition of the floods are such in the particular location that there is a need to look at wider solutions, then in conjunction with the local authority and the OPW, the Department can do that.

Deputy Dooley spoke about the issue of septic tanks. Certainly, that issue has been raised on a number of occasions in the co-ordination meetings, both by representatives of the City and County Management Association and by Irish Water. Obviously, there are broader contamination issues in respect of water. If the Deputy is specifically referencing people who have problems with a septic tank, I would say that they would probably need some expertise from the local council or from an engineer, construction firm or construction expert of their own choice. If the Deputy is saying that the septic tank structure may need to be replaced because of flooding-----

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