Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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66. To ask the Minister for Defence the status of the funding available from his Department for compensation works in relation to flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1831/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government approved the allocation of €5m to be distributed as emergency humanitarian support to small businesses and community, sporting and voluntary bodies which through no fault of their own have been unable to secure flood insurance and have been flooded recently.

The scheme, which is being administered by the Irish Red Cross Society, provides a once-off ex gratiacontribution towards the costs of repair of damage incurred by organisations which were unable to secure flood insurance and were flooded as a result of the severe weather during December 2015 and early January 2016.

The scheme is aimed at providing a contribution to the costs of returning premises to their pre-flood condition including the replacement of flooring, fixtures and fittings and damaged stock. It only applies to premises that have been flooded and it is intended as an emergency humanitarian assistance contribution rather than compensation for loss of earnings, loss of business goodwill or as replacement for the cover provided by insurance.

The emergency nature of the response to the difficulties of organisations affected by the flooding required a speedy process in order to meet their needs. In this regard a two step approach was taken, involving an initial application which, if successful would lead to a quick payment, capped at €5,000 per property. Applications under the €5,000 threshold are being paid following a quick verification process between the Irish Red Cross and the local authority responsible for the area in which the business was flooded.

The second stage of the scheme provides a means to seek further support of up to €20,000 per property. This involves a more lengthy process requiring a detailed assessment by loss adjusters appointed for this purpose by the Irish Red Cross.

The Red Cross is continuing to process applications and is making payments on a daily basis. The Irish Red Cross advises that more than 150 payments have been made to date. The closing date for receipt of application forms is 31 January 2016.