Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The recent monsoon-type rainfalls have created havoc, despair, hardship and bitterness for thousands of families whose homes have flooded. As we speak in Dáil Éireann tonight, the problem is getting worse in some areas, in particular south Galway, from Clonfert, Melick, Loughrea, Gort and Kinvara, while parts of Ballinasloe town, after what happened last week, would remind one of a war zone.

The misery visited on families in Abbeyknockmoy and Ballinastack, together with a vast number of other families who had to walk, crawl or be rescued from their houses had to be seen to be believed. I have seen first hand several of these areas and it is difficult for the families concerned to make decisions about their future, given the enormous difficulties they are currently experiencing.

There are countless other people who have been left penniless by the floods. Many farmers' land is under water and many of them have had to rescue their stock from slatted houses. Many farmers have outsourced their stock to kindly neighbours who are now looking after them. Many business people are financially ruined because stock is rotting away and is totally useless.

Last Saturday morning in the frost, fog and bitter cold, I saw heroic work being done by neighbours, county council staff, IFA leaders, HSE officials, the Order of Malta, the clergy and many others in an effort to try to save the Emmanuel House of Prayer and four or five nearby houses in Clonfert. So great was the force of the flood which backed up from the Shannon that, despite the best efforts of the numerous tankers which removed thousands of gallons of water from each garden, it was obvious that the fight was being lost. Several families had to evacuate later on that day as the water ran through their houses.

Realistic humanitarian aid must be made available quickly. Many families have received small amounts of compensation from community welfare officers to buy provisions such as food, blankets and other necessities of life. However, several householders who have been denied insurance cover because of previous flood compensation settlements are now standing in the worst possible position in the world. Their houses and their contents are destroyed, they have no insurance cover and, which is worse, will never be able to sell their houses. This is where humanitarian aid is most needed and is needed quickly.

Many other families who have insurance but who will not have their claims processed for weeks or months need humanitarian aid to tide them over. Farmers who have lost valuable stock and winter feed and whose machinery has been damaged need financial aid quickly.

When will the guidelines for the compensation scheme be announced? Will there be a means test for qualification? Who will assess the damage? When will the cheques be paid?

No other flood since 1954, and long before that, have caused such havoc and destruction. The long-term answer to a problem which has been getting worse in recent years must surely be better management of the River Shannon. No debris, soil, silt or trees have been removed from the Shannon or its tributaries, such as the Suck, for 25 years. There are banks of mud and debris which now look like islands in the middle of the Shannon and this material must be removed over the coming years.

The ESB must play a different role in river flows given the increased torrent of rain which now falls. The attitude towards the management of the Shannon and its tributaries must change from a "cannot do" to a "must do" scenario. It does not take a scientist or an engineer to identify that the quicker inland water can be moved to the sea the less likely flooding will take place upstream. The various stakeholders who steadfastly hold on to their piece of the cake will now have to come together to seek a solution quickly or floods on the Shannon in years to come will make what happened this year seem like a picnic. If it is any worse than this year, it will be an outrageous disaster.

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government recognises the devastation suffered by people in many areas as a result of the recent floods. Community welfare service staff throughout the country have been providing huge support to families every day since the flooding occurred. They have already provided emergency financial and other assistance to households affected by the flooding to cover items such as clothing, food, bedding, heating, hire of dehumidifiers and emergency accommodation needs. Community welfare officers have made more than 470 initial emergency payments to people in areas impacted by flooding, including 200 payments made in Cork. The average payment made was €300. Officers will continue to make these payments as long as there is a requirement to do so.

In addition to this, a humanitarian assistance scheme is being set up to provide means tested financial support to people who have suffered damage to their homes. An initial sum of €10 million has been set aside by the Government for this purpose. As the flood waters abate and people assess the full extent of the damage to their homes, qualified households can claim for essential household items such as carpets, flooring, furniture and white goods. Assistance will also be available for structural repairs to homes not covered by household insurance.

Humanitarian assistance is not an alternative to insurance in cases where household insurance was available on a reasonable basis. However, where insurance cover is not available because of previous flooding claims, a person may claim humanitarian assistance. All of the main insurance companies have 24 hour, seven day a week dedicated phone help lines in place to assist people to make claims under their household insurance policies. Depending on the nature of the insurance policy held, some companies may make advance payments to help people replace their most important belongings immediately. Insurance companies have undertaken to process claims as quickly as possible. The costs of medical treatment and supplies may also be considered in determining assistance where medical cover is not already in place through private health insurance or medical card.

The level of payment available under the aid scheme to any qualified individual will depend on the severity of the damage to that person's home and the extent of the loss experienced, as well as household income and general family circumstances. The scheme will provide hardship alleviation as opposed to full compensation. As on previous occasions, commercial or business losses will not be covered by the scheme nor will losses which are covered by household insurance.

Applications under the scheme will be means tested to ensure that available assistance will be prioritised for those who are most vulnerable. It will not cover damage to private rented accommodation or local authority accommodation, though humanitarian assistance may be considered in the case of a tenant's personal belongings.

The basic principle of the means test will be to determine the household's capacity to meet the costs of restoring the home to a habitable condition. All household income will be considered when determining entitlement to a payment. However, account will be taken of outgoings such as rent or mortgage payments, other loans and travel to work costs.

In addition to the means test, other factors will also be considered by the community welfare service in assessing individual applications, including whether the applicant is or was homeless as a result of the flooding, the age profile of family members, including babies, young children or elderly persons, the availability of support from the wider family and the special needs that people may have as a result of illness or disability.

People seeking assistance should contact their local community welfare office. Further information and applications forms in regard to the humanitarian assistance scheme are available from the community welfare service in the affected areas and from the Department's website, www.welfare.ie, and the HSE's website, www.hse.ie. While this scheme is not intended to provide full compensation for all losses and damage it will go towards alleviating the hardship which many hundreds of families have had to endure.