James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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529. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the allocation of emergency funding provided for Clane, County Kildare following the significant snowfall in February and March 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40777/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Since 2009, my Department has made financial support available to assist local authorities in meeting the costs of clean-up and necessary immediate works associated with the response to significant severe weather emergency events. This is in recognition of the exceptional nature of activities carried out by local authorities in responding to these types of emergencies and the fact that the costs of these un-programmed activities cannot be met from within existing resources.

In relation to the severe cold weather and snow that caused widespread disruption in many parts of the country in February and March this year, my Department has recouped a total of €9.398 million to local authorities for their response and clean-up activities including a total of €510,019 to Kildare County Council. These payments were made on a local authority basis on foot of claims for recoupment submitted to my Department. The amount of this funding that relates specifically to response and clean-up activities in Clane is a matter for Kildare County Council.