Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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94. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the supports made available to meet the housing needs of those affected by flooding in Finn valley and Inishowen in August 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53287/17]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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The Government has provided many supports to assist those households affected by flooding in Donegal last August.

The Local Authorities would have the principal responsibly for housing needs in their area and Donegal County Council would be able to provide information regarding the status of any supports that they have provided.

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) operates a humanitarian assistance scheme to assist households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as flooding.

The purpose of the humanitarian assistance scheme is to prevent hardship by providing income-tested financial support to people whose homes are damaged from flooding and severe weather events and who are not in a position to meet costs for essential needs, household items and in some instances structural repair.

DEASP have advised that there is a time-lag between the flooding event and claims for financial support as the full extent of the damage to homes only becomes known when the flood water abates and the properties dry out. As such, that Department can be contacted for a full breakdown of their work in Donegal in the aftermath of the flood event in August 2017.

Homeowners affected by the flooding in August 2017 may be considered for humanitarian assistance for relocation under the 2017 Voluntary Homeowners Relocation Scheme if they also flooded in Winter 2015/2016 and meet the terms of that scheme. My officials are working with Donegal County Council to identify properties in this regard.

A core element of national flood policy is to assess areas at potentially significant risk from flooding and develop Flood Risk Management Plans through the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. The Programme is focussing on 300 Areas for Further Assessment (AFAs) including 90 coastal areas, mainly in urban locations nationwide, identified as being at potentially significant risk of flooding. It is the principal vehicle for implementing the EU Floods Directive and national flood policy.

There are a number of AFAs in the Finn Valley and Inishowen areas and the details that outline any proposed measures for these AFAs will be included in the Flood Risk Management Plans.

The final Plans are currently undergoing an independent review of the strategic level environmental assessments by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Once this independent review of all Plans is completed and observations addressed, in early 2018, I expect to seek approval from the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform for the 29 Flood Risk Management Plans developed under the CFRAM Programme.

Thereafter, I would hope to announce the proposed structural measures contained within those Plans that will be taken, through a prioritised approach over the coming years, to detailed design to protect those communities at assessed risk.