Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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142. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of farmers that have signed up to the resettlement programme; if the number is on target; the measures being introduced for farmers that cannot consider the resettlement option; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53238/17]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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On April 11th 2017, the Government agreed the administrative arrangements for a Voluntary Homeowners Relocation Scheme for those primary residential properties that flooded during December 4th 2015 to January 13th 2016. This is a national scheme of humanitarian assistance, targeting aid at those worst affected properties, for which there are no alternative feasible measures.

The Government decision confirmed that a homeowner had to meet a number of conditions to be eligible for assistance under this scheme, including:

- That floodwater entered and damaged the building during the relevant dates such as to render it uninhabitable.

- That the property was the homeowners primary residence at the time of the floods.

- That the affected property must have a significant probability of the recurrence of the flood depth, duration or frequency on a scale that could cause further serious and similar damage to the home.

- That the property is not due to or may not benefit from a planned or possible future major, minor or individual flood defence scheme.

- That the property may not be protected adequately from being flooded in the future at an economically feasible cost through other flood mitigation works including minor works, individual property protection or other possible measures that can be considered at this time.

- That the homeowner is unable to obtain flood risk insurance.

The OPW are working with each of the Local Authorities, using their extensive and detailed local knowledge, to identify the homes that flooded during the event, and of those identified which properties may not benefit from a known or possible engineering solution. These homeowners will be invited to meet with the OPW to discuss the details of the scheme and may be invited to formally apply for the scheme.

In addition to the identification process underway with the Local Authorities, homeowners also had the opportunity to express an interest directly with the OPW, before July 28th 2017, to be considered under the Scheme. Some 67 expressions of interest were received from homeowners in 19 different Local Authority areas.

The OPW has begun to make contact with those homeowners identified above and individual meetings will commence this week. It is not known how many of the people identified are farmers but the OPW is taking note to share details with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of applicants whose home is part of an active farmyard.

In applying the scheme, where an engineering solution is identified that would protect the home from a flood of similar intensity, at more economically advantageous cost than relocation, the OPW will provide funding to Local Authorities to complete these identified works.

With regard to a potential Voluntary Farm Building Relocation Scheme, the study to determine the feasibility of any future once-off targeted scheme for Voluntary Farm Building Relocation has been commenced. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is using its own records of applicants who sought aid under the emergency relief package, that operated in response to the flooding during the Winter of 2015/2016, to identify potential candidates for any Voluntary Farm Building Relocation scheme. In addition, that Department will use details supplied by the OPW, from applicants to the Voluntary Homeowners Relocation Scheme, to identify further potential applicants. That Department will then contact and work with these individual farmers to determine if there are any alternative remedial works to protect those farmyard buildings at risk and develop recommendations in relation to the feasibility of a scheme.