Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I know we will have a debate later on flooding and I thank the Leader for organising this very quickly after the last debate. If possible, will the Leader convey to the Minister of State ahead of his presence in the Seanad this afternoon that we would like a breakdown of the €70 million that will be allocated county by county? There is some uncertainty about that. There has been a breakdown that details funding for roads and other areas but we need details of county funding.

To be honest, €70 million is not enough. I am most disappointed that we have been told that the country will not qualify under the European solidarity fund. The notion of European solidarity is that others would be with us in a time of crisis but, unfortunately, that is not to be. The €70 million will only be the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is required. Clare has seen the most structural damage of any county and it is estimated by Clare County Council to require €34 million for repairs. The €70 million is a national fund, meaning Clare will only get a small fraction of that amount. There will be important questions to be answered this afternoon, and I sincerely hope the Minister of State will have much specific detail to give the Seanad when he comes here.