Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Again, with no disrespect to the Minister of State, I find myself in the same position. Given the urgency of this matter, I will go ahead with it but we understood that if the Minister or Minister of State was not available, that would be made known to us and we would have a choice. None of that has happened in my case.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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I have made the same point, with our positions reversed.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I understand that.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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I will reiterate that point to the Ceann Comhairle.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I want to say this for the record. I will take some little blame in regard to the phrasing of this question, which is to discuss the flooding in Galway and the damage it has caused to homes and businesses. The question was submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, as all my questions regarding Galway flood defences have been.

I would say there has been a not overly-friendly interaction in the course of the day with my office regarding this to clarify what it was we wanted. We wanted an update on flood defences, and the Department is aware that there is a library of questions following up on this. We were told it would go to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment because the word "business" is in the question. It was then suggested that we change the wording. That was at 6 p.m., after the Ceann Comhairle had chosen this question. It is not within my remit to change questions that have been submitted. I am using my time to explain this and the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, who is from a completely different Department, is here and will read out a script. I will also take this matter up with the Ceann Comhairle.

As the Minister of State is aware from the scenes on television and discussions on radio, Galway is just another area that has flooded in the past number of months, from Midleton in the south to Newry in the North. I want to know what is available. I have received answers regarding the schemes that the Minister of State will, I presume, tell me about, namely the two business schemes, including the enhanced business scheme, and the social welfare payments available. I am able to read and understand that.

The purpose of my question was the Coirib go Cósta remedial and flood defence works. The preliminary total cost of the project was €9.5 million. This is further to the catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme which started in 2012 and which we all know about. That is over 11 years ago. Following that, a plan and cost were produced for the project. The project aims to protect 940 properties in Long Walk, Spanish Arch, Eglinton Canal, Merchants Quay, Raven Terrace, Salthill and Claddagh. Almost all of those areas were flooded on Sunday and Monday, including my office in Flood Street which is named after a family rather than telling us that it floods.

From January 2023 onwards, I have asked for an update on this. I have used my time to give the background to this. I have been told at each stage that there will be a report. Nothing has come so far in 2023. The original CFRAM underestimated what we faced in terms of climate change and refers to an event every 100 years, but there are now a few events within a number of months. Everything is out of date. I understand the complexity of the situation, but what I cannot accept is the lack of an explanation to us setting out the reasons for the delay and updating us on precisely what is going on. I have a library of questions and responses. In the meantime, Galway is under floodwater again.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for what he is telling me. I thank the Government for the schemes it is providing. Presumably, all of the businesses and homes in Galway that have been affected will be able to avail of those schemes, including Clarinbridge, Oranmore, Galway city, Claddagh, Salthill and Long Walk. I should be talking to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. We should be looking at flood defences because in the meantime there will be interim protection measures and once-off payments will have to continue for longer because flood defence mechanisms have not been provided.

Regarding Coirib go Cósta, over a year has passed since the last update was posted on the website. Almost two and a half years have passed since the first and only public consultation took place. The revised programme was expected in the first quarter of 2023. Almost eight months have passed since then and we still have no date.

We are told that the consultants were appointed more than three years ago in 2020. This is bordering on pathetic, given the enormity of the challenges we are facing in providing flood defences in Galway. Departments are playing games with one another. I have the greatest of respect for the departmental staff, who work extremely hard, but something is wrong somewhere with management. There is a detachment. All day today, games were being played about who was responsible for answering this basic question while the Minister of State was put in a position to tell me something that I could easily have read otherwise and that was repeated a number of times on Leaders' Questions, the Order of Business and so on. Eleven years on from when this process started and after serious flooding on Sunday and Monday and in 2018, I still have no idea and we are no wiser or no more informed about essential flood defences in Galway.

I thank the Chair for bearing with me.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I will convey the Deputy's frustration to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and to the Minister and Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works. I will convey to them what the Deputy has said about the length of time this has taken and I will ask them to give her a full response.