Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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136. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason he is not seeking immediate funds from the EU Solidarity Fund. [8546/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have had initial discussions with the European Commission on possible EU funding under the Solidarity and Regional Support schemes. The purpose of the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) is to allow Member States to request financial aid in the event of major natural disasters. There is a damage threshold per Member State which is set at 0.6% of GNI. The estimated costs of damage caused by the storms between 13 December 2013 and 6 January 2014 of €61.472 m, plus other costs estimated at €10 m, while substantial in the context of the local impact, are well below the non-negotiable GNI threshold of 0.6% (€770m in the case of Ireland) of the Solidarity Fund. Assistance from the Fund is limited to financing emergency operations undertaken by the public authorities alleviating non-insurable damages.

The possibility of a regional application has also been considered. This is also subject to a series of impact criteria, (including 50% of population of an affected region) which this situation does not appear to meet.