Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)

I am talking this matter on behalf of my ministerial colleague, Deputy Phil Hogan. I thank Senator Clune for raising the issue. Met Éireann issued a severe weather warning at 4.54 p.m. on Wednesday, 27 June of torrential and possibly thundery downpours during the period from 11 p.m. on 27 June to 12 noon on 28 June. As predicted, there was heavy rainfall across the country with very localised downpours, particularly in several areas of Cork. Given their nature, it is not possible accurately to predict the exact location, scale or intensity of such localised downpours. An aggravating factor was the already saturated ground due to the wettest June on record. On foot of the weather warning, both Cork city and county councils prepared by deploying outdoor staff to check drainage systems were clear; mobilising engineering staff to monitor rainfall and river levels; contracting the other principal response agencies, An Garda Síochána and the HSE to prepare for a co-ordinated response; and putting senor management on standby for crisis management roles.

Clonakilty, Douglas and Glanmire were particularly affected. Road access to and from Clonakilty and Douglas was severely affected with a number of roads impassable. Flooding of ESB subs-stations left approximately 10,000 homes and businesses without power. Rivers burst their banks in Clonalkilty and Douglas causing severe flooding, of which I know the Senator will be well aware. As the rainfall worsened, Cork County Council's crisis management team activated its flood response plan at 4.10 a.m. on 28 June. Local authority fire services, engineering and outdoor staff were fully deployed assisting those worst affected. The Civil Defence and other voluntary services were mobilised to assist.

Inter-agency co-ordination arrangements were formalised with An Garda Síochána and the HSE. This joined-up response involved communication and public information; prioritising resources to the worst affected areas; traffic management; rescue and evacuation; and pumping water to clear roads and protect infrastructure and property. Specific recovery actions undertaken and still to some extent under way are working with local communities to clear up areas affected, to provide skips to assist businesses and residents, open recycling depots free of charge for affected people and liaise with the Department of Social Protection on the provision of immediate assistance and aid for the worst affected residents.

The Department of Social Protection is actively involved in assisting those families and individuals affected by the flooding under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. This provides for exceptional needs payments to help meet essential once-off exceptional expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. In addition, there is a provision for assistance in the form of an urgent needs payment. In certain circumstances this payment can be made to persons who would not normally be entitled to supplementary welfare allowance.

The Office of Public Works has responsibility for flood mitigation. The identification of alleviating measures to prevent a repeat of the flooding in the Douglas and Kinsale Road areas is, in the first instance, a matter for that office. I understand from the OPW that it is currently carrying out a catchment flood risk assessment study for the south west river basis district area, which includes County Cork. This will provide a prioritised set of measures to address area of significant flood risk and will assign responsibilities for their implementation. It will incorporate the recommendations of a pilot study already completed by the OPW on the Lee catchment.

The budgets of local authorities cannot provide for all of the costs that can arise when responding to unforeseeable and exceptional emergencies. The costs incurred by Cork County Council, Cork City Council and Clonakilty Town Council during and following the flooding last week are being assessed at present and the Minister, Deputy Hogan will be considering the position in this regard with relevant Government colleagues as quickly as possible. When the details and analysis of the Cork flood from last week are to hand, I assure the Senator that a detailed report will be prepared for the Government task force on emergency planning.