Ó Cuív to review all flood victim applications

SOCIAL Protection Minister Éamon Ó Cuív has agreed to review all applications for emergency funding from flood victims who believe they have been short-changed by the Government scheme.

As part of a continuing campaign by St Vincent de Paul, a delegation of five Cork-based TDs and one senator met on Wednesday with Mr Ó Cuív at Leinster House.

The cross-party group — which included Labour’s Ciaran Lynch and Kathleen Lynch, Fianna Fáil’s Noel O’Flynn, and Fine Gael’s Deirdre Clune, Simon Coveney and Senator Jerry Buttimer — warned of families facing financial ruin because of the lack of funds being made available.

While €10 million in emergency funding was made available by the Government to support flood victims in the aftermath of the November crisis, less than 40% of the money has been handed over to those in need.

In Cork, St Vincent de Paul and the Irish Red Cross have estimated flood victims who applied for support under the scheme have been under-paid by between €1m and €1.5m.

As a result, Mr Ó Cuív has confirmed he will ask his department to re-examine applications already made under the scheme in an attempt to find the relevant financial support for those continuing to face hardship more than half a year after the crisis.

The meeting with the minister came almost a fortnight after TDs and senators in Cork agreed at a meeting in City Hall to act in a unified manner to force the emergency financial aid to be fast-tracked to those in genuine need.

It took place as the final touches are put to two reports vital to uncovering the reasons for the floods crisis in Cork last November.

A long-awaited Oireachtas Environment Committee report — based on meetings with flood victims, Cork City Council, Cork County Council and ESB representatives — is due to be published this month.

While the document will not be legally binding, it will contain a series of conclusions on what happened and recommendations on how a repeat of the incident can be prevented.

An independent report commissioned by victims group the Cork Floods Action Committee (CFAC) is also expected to be concluded next month.

The CFAC has said the second report, which is being drawn up by an unknown international consultancy firm, will form the basis of a likely multi-million euro legal case against any organisation found responsible for the flood damage caused.