Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I can appreciate her frustration. I am not in a position, based on what I have before me, to give her any specific answer or comfort in regard to the issue she has raised with particular reference to Galway and the issues people there are enduring. More generally, I have been given an update to give her, of which she is aware, regarding the supports which the Government has made available.

The Government today extended the Government’s emergency business flooding schemes to cover small businesses, sports clubs and community and voluntary organisations affected by Storm Debi earlier this week. The schemes are designed to assist businesses unable to secure flood insurance. The Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment asked the Government to extend the emergency business flooding schemes to the businesses affected by Storm Debi in County Galway. An enhanced emergency business flooding scheme was launched in October to help businesses affected by recent flooding in counties Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Kilkenny, Wexford and Louth. This is in addition to the existing emergency business flooding scheme. These schemes provide urgent assistance to businesses that were unable, through no fault of their own, to get insurance to help with the costs of repairing the damage caused by flooding.

As with similar weather events in the past, the Irish Red Cross will administer and make payments under the schemes on behalf of the Department. The schemes provide humanitarian support contributions towards the costs of returning small businesses and sporting, voluntary and community premises to their pre-flood condition, including the replacement of flooring, fixtures and fittings and damaged stocks where relevant. Application forms for support will be available on the Irish Red Cross website today and the closing date for applications is 15 December.

The standard emergency business flooding scheme has two stages. The first stage will commence immediately and provide a contribution of up to €5,000 depending on the scale of damage incurred. The intention is to process payments as fast as possible. The second stage allows businesses that have incurred significant damages to apply for additional financial support, following an assessment by the Irish Red Cross. The total level of support available for both stages combined will be capped at €20,000. However, due to the exceptional severity of the flooding in some areas, the Government agreed to activate an enhanced emergency business flooding scheme that provides higher levels of financial support for businesses that have been severely affected in certain locations. Again, there are two stages and the maximum payment under this scheme will be capped at €100,000 and require a more detailed assessment of the losses incurred.

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