Cabinet to consider aid for flooding victims

THE Cabinet will decide tomorrow on a humanitarian aid package for flood victims.

Junior Finance Minister Tom Parlon who has direct responsibility for the flooding said yesterday he expects the Government will look seriously at providing aid again especially since there is a precedent.

"I will be reporting to Cabinet on the extent of the damage throughout the country tomorrow, but I cannot pre-empt what the Government will decide."

The Taoiseach's spokesman confirmed last night that flood relief will be considered at the Cabinet meeting but said no decision will be made in advance.

Clonmel was the worst flood-hit area this time, with 150 businesses and homes flooded and 40 families forced to evacuate in the fourth flood there in the last decade.

After visiting Clonmel at the weekend, Minister Parlon confirmed that work on the long delayed €30 million Clonmel Flood Relief Scheme will start before the end of 2005 if there are no further local objections.

The County Cork towns of Mallow and Fermoy were also badly hit by floods again and works on the Mallow €30m Flood Relief Scheme will start next April, Junior Environment Minister Batt O'Keeffe confirmed yesterday.

However, works on the €24.4m Fermoy Flood Relief Scheme will not start until Spring 2006 because the project still has to undergo public scrutiny and go to tender.

Responding to the Opposition's criticisms of the delay in the Clonmel flood relief scheme, Mr Parlon said: "They all know that a serious technical problem emerged with dredging the river which showed it could throw up carcinogenic matter and new plans had to be drawn up to get over that problem."

Junior Environment Minister Batt O'Keeffe inspected the Cork towns worst affected by flooding at the weekend Mallow, Fermoy, Carrigaline and Passage West.

"There was absolute devastation in all these towns and I will be presenting the Government with a report on the extent of the damage on Tuesday," Mr O'Keeffe added. Conceding there was a precedent for humanitarian aid, Mr O'Keeffe said it was ultimately a Cabinet decision.

It was revealed at the weekend that the current State flood protection policy is not appropriate or sustainable for the future.

The Flood Policy Review Group report also found that there are instances where no State agency seems to be responsible for flood events in particular.

Mr Parlon insisted yesterday that he commissioned that report because he knew the current responses were inadequate. "One of the main findings was that the Office of Public Works (OPW) should become the lead agency in tackling flooding problems and this is now going to happen."