Ciarán Cannon (Fine Gael)

We are approximately four weeks away from the first anniversary of the horrendous flooding which affected this country last November. As we approach that time, we should pause to reflect on how we reacted as a nation and on our state of preparedness in case a similar flooding incident occurs this year or in subsequent years.

It is also important that we pause to reflect on how we reacted to the plight of many families throughout the country as a result of the flooding. Not long after the flooding occurred last year, the Government put in place a €10 million hardship fund, which was most welcome. It has transpired that only 10% of the €10 million was actually allocated to families, primarily for two reasons - first, most families were able to secure compensation through their insurance and, second, the conditions attaching to that scheme were fairly restrictive in nature. Households in Galway received the largest share of that fund, with 337 people being compensated to the tune of almost €400,000.

However, a number of families are still out of their homes a year later and these are the ones on whom we should reflect. They are unlikely ever to be able to return to their homes for two reasons: first, they cannot get insurance to reinsure their homes if they were to be in a position to rebuild or refurbish them, and second, they cannot get a mortgage from any institution that would allow them the funds to carry out that refurbishment or rebuilding. This is a very small group of people throughout the country and a fraction of the €8 million that remains in that fund could allow them to rebuild in a different location that would not be prone to flooding. As we approach that anniversary, it is important that we should reflect upon that small minority - I would argue at most 20 or 30 families throughout the country - who need the support of the State in being able to set their families and themselves on a new road and allow them to move on from the crisis that affected them a year ago. Everybody else has moved on but they have not had that opportunity.