Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating me in raising this issue. Midleton was described as a disaster zone or a swamp on media this morning, but it is not alone when it comes to this disaster. Killeagh, Whitegate, Lady's Bridge, Mogeely, Youghal, Inch and many other single dwellings dotted around east Cork have been affected by this flooding. Roads have been ripped up. In addition, more than 9,000 people in the same area are now on boil water notices. When shops in the hardest-hit areas are struggling to open, never mind stock up on essentials, how can we support those directly affected? Our local welfare offices have been decimated - Midleton recently lost its one - so where do people go when they are reaching out for help?

When communities are torn apart, the one thing that Irish communities will always do, is rally around each other and I have been witnessing this over the last few days. I thank everyone who has been involved in this massive clean-up operation, our volunteers, Civil Defence, our emergency services, the Garda, the RNLI and so on. In 2016, when all stakeholders came together following another major flooding incident, the local council and Cork County Council gave the people of Midleton every support they could have. That has been replicated once again with the support of the Government.

I have a number of questions to put to the Minister of State in order that I can go back to my constituents with solid answers. I do not expect him to be able to answer them all, but I want to put them on the record and I hope there is follow-up on them. Why was the national flood forecasting and warning service not used? Was there any prior knowledge of this disaster? Carlow Weather acknowledged the possibility of flooding and forecast 100 mm of rain in the days before this event.

What immediate emergency funding - be it be Government funding, European funding or humanitarian funding - can be drawn down as soon as possible? What happens to businesses and householders that have already drawn down the humanitarian aid funding in the past? Are they allowed to apply for it again? Do they need to have their house or business insured? Will there be a dedicated email for public representatives and Deputies? Many householders and businesses in east Cork do not have insurance because they were not afforded it after four major flooding incidents that have occurred since 2015 or January 2016.

What happens to all those vehicles that were destroyed in this flood? How can people replace them? Is there a special insurance fund that covers these events? Can the Minister of State guarantee that the Government will leave no stone unturned and will do everything to assist the people of Midleton and east Cork and that it will also remove any barriers that stand in the way of householders and businesses in order that they can get on with their lives as soon as possible?

I know there is a lot in that. I appeared in the media today and I spoke frankly about this matter. I said I am not one to go down, stand in front of the cameras, put on lovely white boots, pull a sandbag and say I have my job done. There is a job to do up here as well. I appreciate that some Ministers have today gone down to Midleton and surrounding areas.

Again, I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I am raising this because I need to go back and be in Midleton and east Cork tomorrow morning. I want to be able to assure people that they will be able to access stuff. If there is going to be an issue with previous flooding and people are not insured, what can they do? I am definitely very interested in the issue of car insurance. People had gone to work and were not parked outside their homes. These are necessities and they have lost all of them. Is there a special insurance fund in that regard? I am trying to get that information.

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