Businesses excluded from flood relief package

BUSINESSES will not be entitled to humanitarian aid for damage inflicted by last week’s floods under a Government package agreed yesterday.

Regarded as some of the worst flooding in 40 years, the number of houses in the south and south-east affected is estimated at around 500 by local authorities.

The Cabinet yesterday approved the aid package for flood victims in principle at its meeting yesterday, but no specific figures were mentioned.

Officials are still working on the scale of the aid package and compiling figures on the numbers of houses affected.

Despite pleas from businesses in flood-prone areas that cannot get insurance, the aid package will be restricted to householders.

Based on previous incidents, figures in the region of €10,000 are being mentioned in terms of the average payout for homeowners. But officials cannot give any hard figures on the amounts expected to be involved or on the sum being set aside in the package.

The Irish Red Cross will distribute the humanitarian aid to those who suffered severe hardship. Details on how the scheme will operate will be hammered out today between Irish Red Cross officials and the Office of Public Works.

Confirming that the process was in train, Office of Public Works Minister Tom Parlon said the purpose of the funds was to provide humanitarian assistance and not compensation.

“Having visited a number of locations over the last few days I am aware of the level of distress caused to people arising from damage to their homes by the flooding,” Mr Parlon said.

Labour TD Joe Sherlock and Fine Gael TD and MEP Simon Coveney raised the flooding issue with Mr Parlon in the Dáil yesterday.

The lack of progress in advancing flood relief schemes in towns is being consistently highlighted by opposition parties, but the Government claims the programmes are advancing.

Transport Minister Martin Cullen said when he left the Office of Public Works two years ago there was a flood relief plan for Clonmel in place, but it had been hampered by objections from up to 100 local people.

The predicted average humanitarian aid payout of €10,000 is in line with the grants in 2002, when there were floods in February and November.