Taoiseach announces €15 million in flood relief funding

The Government has put in place a fund of €15 million to deal with the immediate humanitarian issues arising from the recent flooding, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has told the Dáil.

He said that about €250 million had been spent in the past four years on capital works to prevent flooding. It was taking a long time to “put defences in place’’ in areas such as Clonmel, Fermoy and Kilkenny, he added.

"How do you provide for longer-term defences in Clontarf, Limerick, Galway and Cork, which has been flooded in a number of occasions ?'' Mr Kenny asked.

The Taoiseach said that there would be an update on the situation on Thursday and a full report next Tuesday from Minister for Finance Michael Noonan and Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Brian Hayes.

“The Government will respond in the best way it can,’’ he added.

The Taoiseach was replying to Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, who said the €15 million was "a drop in the ocean''.

He added that the Government had taken €320 million out of the local government fund.

“So how can a local authority deal with a crisis of this dimension ?’’ he added.

Mr Adams said there was plenty of money for consultants and, "irony or ironies'', including consultants for Irish Water.