Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Flooding in the past few days has left many parts of County Cork devastated. People's homes and businesses and roads have been destroyed. Areas such as Glandore, Rosscarbery, Clonakilty and Castletownbere have been badly hit once again. Areas such as Midleton, I was told this morning, are like a disaster zone, with a shortage of professional help from anyone, leaving locals having to do the clean-up themselves.

The underspend on the roads budget is coming home to roost, as rivers are blocked due to a lack of clearing. A lack of roadside workers due to funding restraints has left many drains blocked and roadside gulleys without clearing. Having this funding and workers will not prevent all flooding issues, I accept, but it will go a long way. The Taoiseach and Ministers are in Cork today. They should have been there three years ago, with works now completed, and not just there now, as always happens, for photoshoots after floods. In many tweets in the past few days, politicians have told people there is an humanitarian assistance scheme, which, I may add, is means tested, meaning many affected will not qualify. For communities who need immediate funds, will this emergency funding be made available this week?

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