Assessment of aid levels for flood victims within days - Kenny

Assessments on how the €5 million in aid for flood victims should be allocated will take place in coming days, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.

He told the Dáil the Department of Agriculture had introduced a number of measures to deal with the movement of animals from flooded land and the transportation of slurry from flooded tanks.

“The Government will receive a full report this week, and again at its meeting next week, on the damage and scale of what has taken place, including in respect of roads, bridges and other structures that have not yet been assessed, in the same way as when major storms hit just a few years ago,’’ he added.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said he got a sense people living in the areas affected by flooding wanted to know when action would be taken on the problem.

The relief scheme for Bandon, which was badly flooded in 2009, had not been carried out and the capital works had not been put in place, he added.

‘Upgrade’ in priorities

Mr Martin claimed there was a real sense the Government did not "get" what was happening. "It must dramatically upgrade this issue in terms of its priorities,'' he added.

Mr Kenny said some schemes had been completed or were near completion. Schemes likely to go to construction next year included Templemore, Claregalway, Bandon, Skibbereen and Foynes.

Two years were lost because of legal objections to the tender process for Bandon, he added.

Mr Kenny said there was a scheme designed for Crossmolina, which had its worst flooding in 52 years, and the bridge through the town centre might have to be replaced completely.

Humanitarian process

The Department of Social Protection’s humanitarian process was already in place, he said. There was provision of cash for the immediate situation in any house as well as a longer-term analysis when the water was pumped out.

Earlier, Mr Martin said it was difficult for those not affected to comprehend the impact of the storms on so many communities and the depth of destruction.

The problem was that some of those communities had been hit before, in 2008 and 2013.

“As a result, many people cannot get insurance,’’ he added. “The affected communities are very angry and feel let down by the Government and authorities in general.’’

People felt there was a lack of urgency and proactivity in prioritising the capital flood relief works, said Mr Martin.