Minister: State paying for clean-up is inevitable

Many parts of the country are counting the cost of weeks of stormy weather, but Met Éireann has said the worst is over.

As the clean-up continued in areas such as Lahinch and Ballybunion, Office of Public Works Minister Brian Hayes said it is “inevitable” the Government will have to stump-up extra funds to deal with the scale of storm damage across the country.

“We wait to see exactly the assessment that comes in from the local authorities,” he said. “We already have funds there in 2014 which we will be extending right across the country,” he told RTÉ, adding that applications received from local authorities for restoration works and flood defences would be fast-tracked.