Floods aid scheme to be operated by Red Cross

A humantarian aid scheme to assist those affected by last week's severe flooding will be put in place and operated through the Red Cross, the Dáil was told.

The first formal meeting about the scheme takes place today and the Minister of State for Finance, Mr Martin Cullen, said the Red Cross had very effectively implemented a similar scheme after the heavy floods of November 2000, when €3.49 million was paid in 447 cases within eight weeks.

The Minister defended the effectiveness of the response by the authorities last weekend and said that while it may have appeared they were not co-ordinated that was "not necessarily the case". Officials knew precisely what they were doing and where they were going and the resources they had, and co-ordination was done centrally from Dublin Corporation's headquarters for the flooding.

He stressed that the OPW was in contact with local authorities to examine "the precise causes of flooding in each location and to ascertain what preventative measures may be feasible".

During a special notice question TDs highlighted flooding damage in a number of areas including the North Strand area of Dublin, Foynes in Co Limerick, Ballylongford, Co Kerry, and Bray, Co Wicklow as well as the East Wall and Ringsend areas of Dublin.

They questioned the effectiveness of local river and sea defences and Mr Tony Gregory (Ind, Dublin Central) criticised CIÉ, claiming it had "direct responsibility" for flooding in the East Wall and North Strand areas because it had "demolished walls" in the Spencer Dock and North Strand areas.

Mr Michael Finucane (FG, Limerick West) whose mother's house was among the 12 or 13 homes and businesses affected in Foynes said an embankment had been moved for land reclamation which had run at the back of houses and businesses affected.

The basement of the home of Labour leader Mr Ruairí Quinn was flooded and he expressed concern about people who had no insurance who lived in old houses with substandard wiring.