Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 November 2018
287. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the allocation of emergency funding has been set up in case of a bad winter similar to that in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46164/18]
View answerSince 2009, my Department has made financial support available to assist local authorities in meeting the costs of clean-up and necessary immediate works associated with significant severe weather emergency events, including flooding. This is in recognition of the exceptional nature of activities carried out by local authorities in responding to these types of emergencies and the fact that the costs of these un-programmed activities cannot be met from within existing resources.
Funding of repair of public infrastructure is undertaken by the relevant Department in line with its sectoral responsibility. Capital costs associated with infrastructural damage, such as damage to the roads network, are therefore not included under the above arrangements.
It is important to note that my Department does not have a standing fund for the recoupment of local authority costs associated with severe weather response activities but rather the funding is made available, in the first instance, from savings identified elsewhere in the Department's budget.
As previously, should further severe weather events occur in winter 2018 and where the costs of the local authority response cannot be met from within their existing approved resources my Department will endeavour to identify savings to fund un-programmed costs and, if necessary, engage with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on securing further funding.
Since 2009, my Department has made a total of €95m available in this way to local authorities, including €9.4m following the cold weather and snow of February/March 2018.
