Oireachtas European Affairs Committee Hopeful of EU Financial Aid for Flood Damage Following Meeting with Commissioner
Following its meeting in Brussels today (4th), with the EU Commissioner for Regional Development, Mr Pavel Samecki, the Oireachtas European Affairs Committee believes it is possible that Ireland could be granted financial assistance from the European Union to help those areas of the country afflicted by the recent floods.
The Committee met with Commissioner Samecki to impress upon him the serious damage the extensive flooding has done to lives, land, and livelihoods throughout the country and to push for money from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to assist Ireland in dealing with its worst affects.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Durkan TD said:
"We had a very positive meeting with Commissioner Samecki today. We explained to him the unprecedented damage the flooding had done and the widespread impact it has had on a huge number of people.
We appealed to him directly for funds from the EUSF to be allocated to Ireland to help with repair and reconstruction work. Promisingly, Commissioner Samecki was sympathetic to the plight of the people affected by flooding and responded positively to the points made by the delegation.
He indicated that he would be prepared to send an EU delegation to Ireland to examine the extent of the damage from the floods in order to assess our eligibility for funding. He also suggested that Ireland should explore using funds from the European Regional Development Fund to help re-build and improve our flood defences.
We feel that our meeting today has furthered Ireland’s case for help and the Committee intends to persevere with its campaign to ensure that all assistance possible is made available to those areas of the country so adversely affected by this terrible flooding."
The delegation also impressed upon the Commissioner the likelihood of similar natural disasters in the future and the need for the EU to be able to respond quickly.
The delegation from the Oireachtas European Affairs Committee consisted of Bernard Durkan, TD, Fine Gael (Chairman), Timmy Dooley, TD Fianna Fail, Vice-Chairman and Pat Breen, TD, Fine Gael.
The EUSF was created as a reaction to the severe floods in Central Europe in the summer of 2002. Under the EUSF regulation, Member States and countries negotiating accession can request financial aid in the event of a major natural disaster.
A national application to the EUSF in regard to the current flooding would have to meet certain criteria, including a high threshold of damages amounting to 0.6% of Gross National Income (GNI) or, based on 2009 figures, damages amounting to €973m.
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is part of the EU's Cohesion Policy and can be used, amongst others, to assist Member States in the area of the environment and risk prevention.
ENDS
Daniel English
Oireachtas Communications Office
01 618 4484
087 6949926
The full membership of the Committee is:
Bernard Durkan, TD, Chairman (Fine Gael)
Timmy Dooley, TD Vice Chairman (Fianna Fáil)
Thomas Byrne, TD (Fianna Fáil)
Joe Costello, TD, (Labour)
Lucinda Creighton, TD (Fine Gael)
Pat Breen TD, (Fine Gael)
Michael Mulcahy TD, (Fianna Fáil)
Mary O'Rourke, TD (Fianna Fáil)
Beverley Flynn, TD (Fianna Fáil)
Sean Power, TD (Fianna Fáil)
Billy Timmins, TD (Fine Gael)
Joanna Tuffy, TD, (Labour)
Noel Treacy TD, (Fianna Fáil)
Senator Deirdre deBurca (Green Party)
Senator Pearse Doherty (Sinn Féin)
Senator Rónán Mullen, (Independent)
Senator Phil Prendergast, (Labour)
Senator Paschal Donohoe, (Fine Gael)
Senator Terry Leyden, (Fianna Fáil)
Senator John Hanifan, (Fianna Fáil)
Senator Maurice Cummins, (Fine Gael)
Senator Feargal Quinn, (Independent)
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