Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 359: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation the number of reports received from each county enterprise board on flood damage to businesses on foot of the flooding of November 2009; the action taken on foot of these reports; the compensation paid in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47925/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The role of the County and City Enterprise Boards is to provide support for micro-enterprise (business not employing more than 10 people) in the start-up and expansion phases, to promote and develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate entrepreneurship at local level.

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 the Tánaiste and then Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Ms Mary Coughlan TD 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 CEBs' feedback on the effects of flooding in their areas was provided to the Tánaiste and copied to the Department of An Taoiseach. The national response to the flooding crisis was overseen by the Emergency Response Co-ordination Committee and operating under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. An integral part of this response was the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, which provides means-tested financial support to people who have suffered damage in their homes and was being administered by the local Community Welfare Services. This scheme did not cover commercial or business interests.

The CEBs had no broad-based role in assessing actual flood damage to businesses nor in the provision of compensation to businesses affected by the flooding. However, in the context of dealing with businesses affected by the flooding, the CEBs will engage and co-operate as appropriate, with other Government departments and agencies where it has been determined that the CEBs could usefully be of assistance.