Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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73. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position as of July 2025 on the Programme for Government commitment to develop an extreme weather event assistance scheme for community organisations and businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40777/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government contains a commitment to develop an Extreme Weather Event Assistance Scheme for community organisations and businesses. This initiative is a strategic policy action for delivery within the timeframe of the current Government.

My Department operates an Emergency Humanitarian Flooding Scheme in response to specific flooding incidents. These schemes are specifically targeted, providing a contribution to small businesses of up to 20 employees, as well as community, voluntary and sporting bodies, which have experienced damage as a result of flooding. A condition of eligibility for these schemes is that the business must not have been able to secure flood insurance through any fault of its own.

With regard to the issue of losses arising from Storm Éowyn, I would in the first instance encourage businesses to seek recourse through their insurance providers to cover any losses incurred. Most losses incurred by businesses, such as property damage, loss of earnings and spoilage of stock, fall within standard insurance cover and the damage caused by the storm is a standard insured peril for insurance policies.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, through the National Emergency Co-ordination Group, are currently leading a cross-government review of the response to Storm Éowyn. My officials are engaging in this review. This review will inform consideration of any potential extreme weather event assistance scheme for the business sector.