Government’s €15m for flood victims for immediate relief, Taoiseach says

The Government’s €15 million for flood victims would deal with immediate causes of hardship, discomfort and relocation, Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dáil.

He said that committees of local authorities had already been calling to those affected to assess structural damage and the humanitarian circumstances applying.

“That work is being done in conjunction with local community organisations such as the Society of St Vincent de Paul, community councils and residents’ associations.

"The results are reported to the Department of Social Protection, which has already made payments in a number of areas for the provision of immediate relief, including food and clothing.''

Mr Kenny said structures for the relief programme were now in place, and an update would be provided on the emergency response tomorrow. By next week, Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan, Minister of State for Finance Brian Hayes and other Ministers would have more accurate assessments from all local authorities of the scale of the problem and the requirements identified.

He said there were, however, immediate humanitarian problems concerning those who had to relocate to alternative accommodation, including the homes of relatives. There was also the question of structural damage.

He said that it was not the first time there was flooding in various parts of the country, including the Shannon, Blackwater and other regions. “However, it was unprecedented in its scale and power of destruction.’’

Mr Kenny said there were issues of immediate and interim concern, including what should be done in the long-term in providing structural defences where necessary.

On Monday, he said, he had visited Spanish Arch in Galway. "The power of the water coming out of Lough Corrib was indescribable in its ferocity. Even if one had 5ft or 6ft high walls down to the open sea, when there is a tide that is 20ft higher than normal, it inevitably backs up.''

Mr Kenny was replying to Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, who said that parts of Cork city and county, as well as Waterford, Limerick and Dublin, frequently experienced significant flooding. With climate change, rising sea levels and increased rainfall, the position was expected to get worse in years to come.

He was advised that some people thought they were insured for flood damage but discovered they were not. Others could not obtain insurance.

Mr Adams said the Government did not appear to be capable of engaging in strategic planning.

During the fodder crisis last year, Sinn Féin argued that the Government needed to put in place contingency plans to deal with the consequences of severe weather.

He said the sum of €15 million set aside by the Government was “a drop in the ocean’’, while the Government had taken €320 million from the local government fund.

Mr Kenny stressed that the €15 million was to deal with the humanitarian issues immediately. He added that some €250 million had been spent on capital works.

He added that he had met people whose businesses had been flooded three times in three years. “There is no insurance after the first claim is made, which is an issue of great concern to people in business.’’

Mr Kenny and Mr Adams paid tribute to the responses from communities, neighbours and the emergency services involved in rescuing people and easing their discomfort.