Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 39: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the role the county enterprise boards will have in assessing flood damage to businesses, homes and the farming community around the country; and if she intends utilising the boards to assist in this project. [48064/09]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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As enterprise support agencies the interaction of the County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) with their local Community is generally confined to matters of delivering financial and non-financial supports to eligible local enterprises in the micro-enterprise sector and to the promotion of entrepreneurial activities. It was in the context of this remit that I recently asked the CEBs to collect information on the impact of the flooding on their local client businesses in order to assist in framing the overall Government response to the situation.

The national response to the flooding crisis was overseen by the Emergency Response Coordination Committee (operating under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government). An integral part of this response is the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme which provides means-tested financial support to people who have suffered damage in their homes and is being administered by the local Community Welfare Services. This Scheme does not cover commercial or business interests.

In relation to businesses affected by flooding damage the CEBs and Enterprise Ireland are available to offer advice to client businesses and their normal financial supports remain available to eligible clients. However it is primarily for the Insurance Sector to respond to affected businesses under the terms of their commercial insurance policies. This Sector should respond quickly and appropriately to claims and should ensure that payments flow back to policyholders to facilitate early resumption of business. In addition the Banking Sector has a role to play in supporting businesses coping with the impact of flood damage. It is imperative that such businesses receive supportive responses from banks to requests for working capital loans and re-stocking loans and for any temporary adjustments to loan facilities already in operation. Some individual insurance companies and banks have committed publicly to offering speedy and appropriate assistance to businesses impacted by the floods.

While the CEBs have gathered some information on their client businesses that have been affected by flooding they have no broad-based role in assessing actual flood damage to businesses or in gathering information on, or assessing flood damage to, domestic premises or farm premises or the wider community in general nor indeed would they have the capacity to undertake such a role. However I will continue to monitor the situation as it affects local businesses based on relevant information that becomes available to the CEBs.