Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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513. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if financial supports will be provided to businesses that suffered damage during storm Éowyn, similar to the humanitarian flood assistance schemes; if consideration will be given to introducing a targeted support scheme for businesses in rural east Galway, where many were severely affected by the storm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10823/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I am acutely aware that many businesses have been impacted by Storm Éowyn and the subsequent outages in relation to power, water and communications networks. In addition, some businesses have had a loss of earnings due to disruption to their operations, spoilage of stock and indeed some would have incurred additional costs in relation to repairs or the temporary use of electrical generators.

With regard to businesses with losses arising from Storm Éowyn, I would in the first instance encourage businesses to seek recourse through their insurance providers to cover losses incurred.

I understand that the damage caused by the storm is a standard insured peril and most losses incurred by businesses such as property damage, lost earnings and spoilage of stock fall within standard insurance cover on policies.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to an Extreme Weather Event Assistance Scheme, designed to support affected households, farms and businesses. This initiative predates Storm Éowyn and is a strategic policy action for delivery within the timeframe of the current Government. While the full details of this scheme are still to be fully worked through, the broad aim should be to strengthen the existing humanitarian assistance schemes already in place across a number of Departments.

The unprecedented impacts of Storm Éowyn require this initiative to be a high priority policy for the relevant Departments and officials of my department have begun working as a matter of urgency on the aspects of such a scheme relevant to the business sector.