Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The events of the past week in respect of weather conditions and the havoc wreaked on thousands of homes, lives, careers and opportunities have been unprecedented. While the Government is not responsible for the extent of the rainfall, it is responsible for the response to this calamity. As I understand from reports from the ESB, this is a once in 800 years event and water levels on the River Shannon and at other locations are above the worst disaster levels ever recorded in 1954. The Taoiseach took time to visit a number of the affected locations yesterday but I have received written reports from all of our Deputies and Senators in affected locations from Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Clare, Galway and other places. This is a horrendous position as we face into Christmas. The people affected need help now. It ranges from the call from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for basics such as boots, clothes and blankets to assistance for the agricultural community which has simply been devastated and wiped out. Five weeks before Christmas businesses have found that their livelihoods are completely gone. Short of a family tragedy, there is nothing worse for a housewife in the country than to see the family home under five feet of water. The Taoiseach knows this from first-hand encounters yesterday. It requires swift, decisive and effective Government action in response.

I know the Cabinet met this morning to discuss the matter and was briefed by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Will the Taoiseach tell the House what is the response of the Government and what help is being prepared by it for businesses which have been devastated, owners whose houses have been flooded and are awash with sewage and everything else and farmers whose livelihoods have literally been washed away? What is the Government's response, given the visual evidence the Taoiseach witnessed and the reports of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I agree that in recent days we have seen weather conditions which have wreaked devastation and caused problems in many places. The flooding is causing many problems in certain areas and continues to be monitored. The insurance policies people have on their homes and businesses will take effect. With regard to those in exceptional need or experiencing hardship as a result of what has happened, community welfare officers are available - including today - on a one-to-one basis to assist those who require food, clothing, bedding, etc. In addition, there has been a decision made by the Government to open an additional fund, starting at €10 million, for humanitarian assistance. A clean-up operation will begin in the coming days, assuming the situation does not deteriorate further, for which we will be watching weather patterns in the days ahead. Once the clean-up operation proceeds, other needs which people may have will emerge but the humanitarian aid scheme will assist those suffering most hardship.

The question of fodder relief also arises. Cattle are being moved to higher ground. Teagasc and other agencies will make an assessment on a county-by-county basis, using front-line knowledge to determine what can be achieved. The initial decision has been taken to make funds available and assessments will be made on a daily and weekly basis of what further assistance can be provided.

The response to the emergency involves local emergency plans, in which agencies and the various authorities have worked well together, and central plans, in respect of which an emergency co-ordination committee has met on an ongoing basis since last Friday when the crisis emerged. The Government is anxious to assist those suffering particular hardship in every way we can and to look at how we can ensure the flooding abates and does not continue in the days ahead.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The indications are that weather conditions may well deteriorate again this evening. The Government has pumped hundreds of millions of euro into loans that did not perform and which have now ended up in a black hole. In this case, thousands of people who were prepared to put their money where their mouths were have had their lives destroyed. They followed their own initiative to follow a business lead and provide career opportunities for themselves, their families and children. In farming circles people followed instructions and attempted to make a livelihood for themselves in very difficult circumstances. For thousands of householders their pride and joy has turned to devastation as water bubbles up through the floors and pours into the house.

The Government states it is anxious to assist but I ask for something far more effective than this. I know the Taoiseach cannot provide a full, detailed response on structural damage to bridges, key walls or other defences but we need to be able to offer the people some hope the Government actually understands what they are facing up to in the last five weeks of the year. When the landslide occurred on the north Mayo coast, it was almost two and a half years before people could draw down assistance through the Red Cross.

What has happened in recent days is unprecedented. At 4.30 p.m. on this dark evening, people are facing into a night of the unknown. Nobody knows where water may strike in the Shannon basin or on its lower plains, in Cork or the Lee valley or the towns throughout the southern region. It requires a serious Government response - now. I hope the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, will tell the House later what he said to the Government this morning. He should take on board suggestions from Members on all sides who have heard first-hand reports that neither the Minister nor the Taoiseach have been able to get around to in the time available.

The people whose livelihoods have been washed away before their eyes and who now want to rebuild their lives and careers and opportunities for their families need a more effective response from the Government. Has the Taoiseach applied for assistance under the European solidarity fund? That is a fund of €1 billion but assistance has to be applied for by the Government. It has been used to provide assistance for countries such as Romania and Greece after wildfires. I ask the Taoiseach to be more expansive and show more generosity to those who have to rebuild careers, livelihoods and opportunities in the agriculture sector, including housewives and all others affected. Does he intend to send the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to meet regional Commissioner Samecki to discuss urgently the provision of funds in addition to what the Government is providing for hard-pressed families in this unprecedented situation?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I have made it clear, as I did yesterday when I visited areas affected by the flood, that the Government will see what it can do to assist in every way it can. Businesses are in the process of cleaning up and, as far as is possible, opening again, although some are, of course, waiting for the flood waters to abate in order that they can return to their premises. There are insurance issues to deal with but some householders have been flooded for the first time because of the rainfall and its effect on the river basins and they need immediate help with food, clothing and bedding. In some cases accommodation is provided by family members nearby and the HSE is stepping in to provide temporary accommodation where required. The situation is being monitored and when the flood waters abate and the clean-up operation takes place, people will assess the extent of the damage and to what extent it is covered by existing insurance arrangements. The immediate response of the Government has been to make sure a funding line is available to deal with the situation as it arises. Community welfare officers are making sure local, front-line knowledge is put to best effect to make sure people with immediate needs are helped in as speedy and flexible a way as possible.

The Minister for Finance is making inquiries as to the possibility of funds being made available from the EU solidarity fund. We will provide assistance in whatever way we can but agricultural relief such as a fodder scheme will have to be proceeded with in line with state aid rules, to which end we are seeking clearance from the Agriculture Directorate General. I met yesterday with businesspeople who had reopened their businesses that afternoon having been flooded over the weekend, while others were not in a position to do so. The position varies from business to business and depends on the type of business involved and how it has been affected. People are trying to get back to as normal a position as quickly as possible. We have made humanitarian aid available immediately for those most affected. There is a wider range of issues around flood management and various flood relief schemes such as those in Mallow, Carrick-on-Suir and Kilkenny have been effective. There is a further commitment to investment in these areas.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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It is fair to say there was an immediate response to the emergency over the weekend but it came from local authorities, Civil Defence, local bodies, neighbours and others who came together to help each other out in what was an unprecedented weather event.

It is something, however, that we will probably have to learn to cope with.

I listened to the Taoiseach's replies to Deputy Kenny and he said that the Government would assist in every way it can. The point, however, is that the Government needs to take charge of this matter. A number of things need to be done. First, there is the urgent matter of restoring drinking water supplies. Approximately 18,000 households in Cork do not have drinking water at the moment. Second, there are the immediate needs of people who have had to evacuate their homes due to flooding. They require short-term accommodation and assistance to repair their flooded homes. The question of insurance also arises in this respect. Somebody in the Government needs to talk to the insurance industry immediately to ensure that claims are processed promptly and that insurance companies are not holding back on such claims. In addition, people affected by the floods will need financial assistance while their insurance claims are pending. We know from our experience of past cases that it can take some time before insurance claims are paid. In the current economic circumstances, many households and businesses may not have access to alternative funding sources, either to get houses repaired or businesses restocked in the run up to Christmas. Financial assistance is needed even in the form of advance payments anticipating claims that will eventually be paid by insurance companies.

I appreciate it is early days but I am not sure the fund announced today is adequate, or that the method for accessing it is appropriate in all cases. It seems to me that €12 million will not go very far, given the scale of devastation we have seen in recent days. I would like to hear more about the role of community welfare officers. I suspect that people who have gone through the trauma of having their homes flooded will not necessarily want a vigorous means test from a community welfare officer. On what basis will those officers extend this funding?

What will be done to accelerate flood protection projects to ensure that as many people as possible can be protected from a recurrence of these events? It is fair to assume that if there is a repeat of these weather conditions the areas that suffered flooding this time will also suffer again if flood protection measures are not taken. We know, for example, that the measures taken in places such as Kilkenny, Mallow and elsewhere have worked. It is, therefore, urgent to accelerate flood protection works so that the next time around the damage will be minimised.

There are also longer-term issues, which were well expressed at the weekend by the IFA president, including drainage and water courses. These matters require attention. I appreciate that the recent rainfall was unprecedented, but we have been talking about reducing carbon emissions in the context of climate change. The reality is that the effects of climate change are now with us, yet we do not seem to have been adequately prepared to deal with the consequences.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I do not accept Deputy Gilmore's first contention, which is that there was no national response. There has been a good level of co-ordination as a result of the establishment of the emergency planning office some years ago. Those plans are in place precisely to meet such situations. There is good inter-agency co-ordination, which provides a quick response when an emergency arises. We should not be awaiting a response from a central Department about how to deal with a particular situation in west Cork, east Galway or elsewhere. That is not the way to get a quick and effective response. Local authorities, at city and county level, are the leading agencies in these matters. They bring together the various local agencies that are involved, including the Army, Civil Defence, Garda Síochána and Health Service Executive. The HSE has issued public health notices and other information where required. There is a need to safeguard major installations such as water pumping stations where possible and hospitals, as well as helping those in difficulty in flooded housing estates and other locations. The public accepted that sense of prioritised co-ordination, which was fundamental in ensuring an effective response. In fairness, people have been working 24/7 since last Thursday evening. The work has been undertaken in a co-ordinated fashion and I believe it has a lot of public support.

A co-operative community spirit lies behind many of the efforts that are being made. These include contacting and protecting vulnerable people to ensure that they have access to drinking water. Local community groups are calling to homes to augment and facilitate those efforts in line with the emergency teams already in place. All that work must be recognised and commended. Given that those efforts were structured locally, it meant the response was far better than if it had originated at a centralised level.

In addition, the emergency co-ordination committee has a responsibility to pull all that work together to see what priorities emerge. That committee must ensure that the necessary resources are made available, including personnel. The Defence Forces, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and other agencies must have an overview of what is happening, while people locally work non-stop to deal with the situation as it arises. That co-ordination has worked. Clearly, however, the challenge continues and changes daily from location to location. Somewhere that was not too badly affected yesterday could be in serious difficulty today, so the situation is being monitored continually.

It is incumbent on the insurance industry to provide a speedy response. I have already met people who have had insurance inspectors in to estimate the cost of repairing flood damage. In addition, community welfare officers are making funds available to those in difficulty. I am not suggesting that this morning's announcement concerning the €12 million fund represents the Government's full response, but we must open the fund to ensure that moneys are available in addition to urgent needs and exceptional needs payments. The latter payments are already being provided to families who can establish to the satisfaction of officials that they have immediate needs, such as clothing, bedding or food.

What is being provided is not compensation, but humanitarian relief for those in immediate difficulties. Business losses do not come into that category. It is a matter that will have to be dealt with by the insurance industry itself. Business people are currently in the process of getting back up and running for the Christmas period where flooding has abated in certain towns.

We all share the sense of urgency about the floods and we all accept that it has been a very difficult situation for many communities in a short space of time. It should be acknowledged that everybody who had a responsibility to discharge has done so excellently in the best traditions of the public service. They are doing so on an ongoing basis. I commend everyone for that. A resilient community spirit is also assisting these efforts to alleviate and mitigate the undoubted hardships for many families in the affected areas.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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I call Deputy Gilmore to contribute briefly because we are exceeding the allotted time.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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At the outset I acknowledged the response of the local authorities, voluntary bodies and communities. I also acknowledged that the Taoiseach and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government visited a number of affected areas in recent days. All I am doing is highlighting a number of matters in respect of which attention is required.

I accept that some insurance companies have responded quickly to people's needs. However, I have been contacted by individuals whose insurance companies are reluctant to provide cover because their premises or properties were flooded on previous occasions. I have also been contacted by those whose mortgages are in arrears and who are concerned with regard to what will happen because their mortgage and insurance payments are tied together. Further, I have been contacted by business people who are concerned about getting their operations up and running again, restocking their shelves, etc., in order that they might capitalise on increases in trade in the period leading up to Christmas. This aspect of the matter must be addressed and someone in the Government should enter discussions with the insurance companies in the interests of ensuring that there will be no blockages in the system.

My other question relates to flood protection works. I do not know if it is ever possible for people's lives to return to normal following events such as those which have occurred in recent days. While one might clean out and return to live in one's house or get one's business up and running again, the fear always remains that one's property will be flooded in the future. The only way concerns in this regard will be allayed is if people are informed that flood protection works will be put in place.

The Government should accelerate the programme of flood protection works. The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Martin Mansergh, gave a number of interviews in recent days during which he outlined the different stages at which various flood protection works currently stand. Such works should be accelerated in order that people might have as much peace of mind as possible to the effect that everything necessary is being done and that if there is a recurrence of the recent bad weather, the effects of it will be minimised.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the introductory remarks of the Deputy in respect of the second part of his question. On flood protection works, the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, has visited many areas throughout the country in order to discharge his responsibilities in respect of this matter. Significant funding is being made available. Some €100 million was provided during the past five years. Despite our difficult financial position, some €38 million has already been allocated this year. We want to accord priority to flood relief and protection.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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On a point of order, why did the Government not-----

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Tom Hayes will have to find an alternative way to raise that matter.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I want to know why-----

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy will have an opportunity to comment later. The Taoiseach, without interruption.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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The matter to which I wish to refer has been highlighted by many of my constituents.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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I ask Deputy Tom Hayes to resume his seat.

John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Mattie is up on the boat.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I will deal with that point in a moment. In respect of the capital works that are ongoing, the OPW has a number of further plans to bring forward.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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They are only plans, they will not stop further flooding.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Taoiseach, without interruption.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The people of Clonmel are aware that phase 1 of the works in their town has been extremely successful. Phases 2 and 3 will be commencing, it is hoped, in March 2010. Works in Mallow, Carrick-on-Suir and Kilkenny have also been successful and those in Fermoy are awaiting commencement.

P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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What about Bandon, Skibbereen and Clonakilty?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The works to which I refer are ongoing and will become an increasing feature of the overall work of the OPW in the future. As matters stand, there will be a need for an investment of €50 million per annum and that is before any review takes place in respect of recent events. There will be a need to identify and prioritise. I am acutely aware that there are certain parts of the country where flooding is a problem on every occasion it rains heavily. I am acutely aware of the problems posed perennially by flooding of the River Shannon. This year, those problems will be far worse because-----

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Éamon de Valera promised to drain the Shannon 40 years ago.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Taoiseach, without interruption.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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These are important issues for many communities and they will not be easily solved. There are some aspects of these problems to which there is no technical solution. That is a fact of life for the communities which have lived in the various affected river basins for many years. The problems to which I refer will not be solved overnight, if they are to be solved at all.

On how we should go about opening up watercourses, etc., there is a need for certain bridges to be re-examined.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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That is what we did.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy McCormack got the job done in his area. Well done to him. I stress that this is a more medium to long-term issue. It is also a capital works issue and it must be addressed. The immediate priority is that those who are experiencing hardship must be assisted. Members of the agricultural community are also experiencing difficulties as a result of recent events. We must also continue with the scheme of capital works.

With regard to the other matters raised by Deputies Gilmore and Kenny, various needs are emerging. As such needs are assessed, a response will be forthcoming, but we need to do that in a way that does not put the Government in loco the insurance industry. There are contingencies that are insurable and that are covered and which will rightly have to be discharged. Taxpayers and the Government have to step in where necessary to alleviate hardship and ensure that people's short-term needs are met as they seek to return to normality as the emergency passes.