Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would like to raise the issue of the humanitarian assistance fund. Glanmire was one of the areas that was worst affected by flooding in the last number of weeks. In my opinion we need to be better prepared for future instances in terms of how we deal with people after such events. It must be said that the welfare officers working in east Cork and Cork city have been phenomenal and very giving of their time to people. However, given the gravity and impact of the flooding events in Cork city and east Cork, the sheer volume of cases they have had to deal with has been very difficult. An awful lot of people would require one-to-one help with filling out what are quite extensive forms. We need to update the whole application process for future flooding events and to increase staffing levels. All resources necessary should be diverted at such times on an emergency basis.

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