Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 34 together.

At the outset, on my own behalf and on behalf of the Government, I want to express our sympathy to the people of County Cork and the other locations, in west Waterford especially, that were flooded and had their businesses and houses impacted by Storm Babet on Thursday of last week. After the event, the Taoiseach and I visited Midleton, as Deputy O'Connor said. We wanted to meet with local communities to see at first hand the devastation from the impact from Storm Babet, to hear people's experiences, to reassure the community of the Government's support during their recovery from the event and to deliver a scheme for the town. We met with officials in Cork County Council during the visit. Across east Cork and other local authority areas, local authority staff, An Garda Síochána, the Civil Defence, the Defence Forces, the Irish Coast Guard and with numerous volunteers worked to provide an emergency response to those affected. I would like to pay tribute to them here today. Last Friday, I met with officials from Cork City Council when I visited Glanmire to meet with those affected in that community.

The Government has initiated all appropriate responses to the flooding situation. The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, activated the humanitarian assistance scheme on 19 October to support households in Cork city and county and west Waterford, including Cork city, Midleton, Youghal, Castletownbere, Mallow, Tallow, Dungarvan and other affected areas. The purpose of this scheme is to prevent hardship by providing income-tested financial support to people whose houses were damaged. A total of 223 payments amounting to €147,260 have already been made to those affected. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has also increased the income limits for the scheme with immediate effect.

In addition, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney, has opened two emergency business flooding schemes for businesses, sports clubs and community and voluntary organisations unable to secure flood insurance and affected by the recent flooding in counties Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Kilkenny and Louth. The scheme provides humanitarian support contributions towards the cost of returning small businesses, clubs, community premises and other premises to their pre-flood condition, including the replacement of flooring, fixtures, fittings and damaged stock where relevant. Assistance of up to €100,000 can be made available under that scheme. In addition to the humanitarian assistance, financial assistance by way of low-cost loans is immediately available from Microfinance Ireland. Loan options include cashflow loans of up to €25,000.

On Tuesday of this week, along with officials from the Office of Public Works, OPW, I met with the chief executive and senior officials from Cork County Council and the scheme’s design consultants to discuss how the Midleton flood relief scheme can be delivered as soon as possible. I would like to reassure the House on behalf of the Government that the OPW, together with other agencies, will do all it can as quickly and efficiently as possible to make sure the communities impacted by the storms in the Cork and Waterford areas receive the relief they require.

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