Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity and thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important matter. The devastation caused by the flooding since early December is still widely affecting our communities. We have seen the destruction of land, business and of so many people's family homes. Last night, in excess of 100 people gathered in the Bounty in Athlone. I could see in their faces that they were suffering from physical and mental exhaustion. I was struck by the frustration they are experiencing, and the heartbreaking stories they shared with me and other public representatives who were there last night. One woman spoke about getting up in the morning and putting on a pair of waders to wade out to her gate to get on the back of a tractor, for the tractor to bring her down the road where she could get into her car just to do a little shopping. That is the level of inconvenience that these people have to endure.

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Another elderly woman spoke about having to relocate from her house to a hotel and of coming down to breakfast one morning to be told she had to vacate the hotel by check-out at 11 a.m. that day.

Many of the issues in regard to the community welfare officer and the restrictive nature of the scheme were dealt with by Deputy Dooley this morning with the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection. I have a real issue with legitimate, tax-compliant businesses being refused access to the Red Cross scheme. The Egan family business has self-catering chalets which are exempt from commercial rates, and it is not the case they are not paying the rates. Thomas Cleary, a horse trainer, is also exempt from commercial rates, and there is also the case of Patricia Doyle. It is not that these people are not meeting their obligations but they have not been able to access the Red Cross funding despite the fact they have legitimate businesses that have been flooded and devastated.

The sad part is that the Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister of State, Deputy Harris, all came and met each and every one of these people and they promised that the criteria would be changed in order that people could avail of the funding. It is simply not good enough that, four weeks after the most senior members of the Government visited Athlone, these people still cannot access funding to help them repair the damage that has been caused by the flooding, which is totally outside their control.

What is in the control of the Government is the eligibility criteria which would give these people the money to which they are entitled. The community welfare officers need to be given instructions by the Minister responsible, the Minister for Social Protection in order that people who voluntarily took time off work to protect their homes, who have incurred additional expenses through ESB charges and the hiring of pumps, and who had to buy in food and incur additional costs would be supported by the Government. It is a damning indictment of this Government that Ministers came to Athlone four weeks ago, made promises and, today, those promises have not been honoured. While I accept it is not the responsibility of the Minister of State, Deputy McHugh, I plead with him to speak to the relevant Ministers in order that they can make the necessary amendments and give these people their just entitlements.

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