Vol. 467 No. 7
50 Mr. Davern asked the Minister for Finance when compensation will be paid to victims of flood damage in south Tipperary following the flooding incidents in January 1996; the amounts of money that will be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14023/96]
The Irish Red Cross Society has agreed to administer a humanitarian assistance scheme to aid the victims of flooding which occurred in January 1996 and to that end have recently undertaken at my request an assessment of the extent of the flood damages in County Tipperary and throughout the south and south east generally arising from that flooding and of the level of resources required to assist the victims. Their report which I received within the past two weeks formed the basis of a submission which has been made to Government to provide additional Exchequer funding to augment the grant of 300,000 ECU's which was recently approved by the EU Commission.
Pending a decision by the Government on the matter I am not yet in a position to confirm the total amount of moneys that will be available to the Irish Red Cross Society for disbursement under this humanitarian assistance scheme, nor could I yet indicate when the funds might be paid out.
However, I would hope they would be paid out shortly.
