In so far as my Department is responsible, I intend to provide the maximum assistance to the people affected by the landslide at Pollathomas, County Mayo, and to the county council in its efforts to restore the infrastructure of the area. First, my Department will recoup to Mayo County Council, 90% of the cost necessarily incurred in providing emergency accommodation for the families who were displaced from their homes. I understand initially some 16 families were housed in emergency accommodation and this number is now reduced to seven.
I have also received a preliminary assessment of the damage to roads and bridges in the area and I understand that Mayo County Council has carried out interim repairs on the damaged roads and bridges to the extent that most roads in the area are now accessible. My Department is liaising with the county council on the preparation of a programme of works for the permanent reinstatement of the road and bridge infrastructure damaged by the landslide.
Funding for the carrying out of the necessary repairs to roads and bridges, as an exceptional arrangement, will be provided by my Department under the non-national roads programme. The level of funding to be provided in 2003 and 2004 will be determined when a full assessment of the damage is available, which I am awaiting.
As this is a CLÁR and Gaeltacht area, I understand that my colleague, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, has indicated that some funding for necessary infrastructural work may be provided by his Department. In particular, he has indicated to Mayo County Council that some funding can be provided for the reinstatement of the graveyard. The council has now indicated that the protective work in the vicinity of the graveyard has been completed and the graveyard re-opened.
The Government has also decided to initiate an ex gratia scheme of humanitarian assistance to relieve hardship caused to individual householders by the landslide at Pollathomas. The scheme will be administered through the Office of Public Works with aid distributed by the Irish Red Cross Society, as the Deputy will be aware occurred previously in similar such incidents. The aim of the scheme will be to provide humanitarian assistance to relieve hardship and not compensation for losses.
The criteria for determining eligibility for assistance will be similar to previous humanitarian aid schemes, namely, death, serious injury, homelessness, damage to home, loss of income or extreme hardship. Officials in the Office of Public Works will be in touch with the Irish Red Cross Society and Mayo County Council over the next few days with a view to putting the scheme into place with immediate effect.