Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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226. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to confirm, in relation to applications to a scheme (details supplied), the amount applicants will be reimbursed for already-installed barriers; when these payments will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4777/25]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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In October 2024, the Office of Public Works, announced €5.8m in funding to Cork County Council for the installation of Individual Property Protection measures to homeowners and businesses impacted by the October 2023 flood event during Storm Babet across Midleton and East Cork. The Individual Property Protection Scheme is intended to help reduce the impact of flooding, mitigating the damage caused to people’s property. This Cork County Council Scheme closed for applications on the 18th November 2024.

The Midleton and East Cork Individual Property Protection scheme provided an option for retrospective funding to property owners who had undertaken Individual Property Protection related builders’ works and or, purchased Individual Property Protection measures independently since Storm Babet and prior to the rollout of the Scheme. The OPW understands that Cork County Council have received some 97 applications for the retrospective funding under the scheme. Where these applications have been deemed eligible, Cork County Council have made arrangements for an independent engineer to visit the property and undertake a review of the suitability of any Individual Property Protection related builders’ work undertaken and or, Individual Property Protection measures purchased since Storm Babet.

Over the coming weeks, Cork County Council will be contacting applicants where the installed measures have been deemed suitable by the independent engineers to request submission of invoices and bank details. Payment will be dependent upon Cork County Council’s review of the submitted invoices and will be arranged through bank transfer up to a maximum amount of €3,900 inclusive of VAT for residential properties, as per the terms for the scheme. In the case of Business Applicants, where the Individual Property Protection measures cost exceeded this amount, the limit on reimbursement will be considered on a case-by-case basis.