Vol. 572 No. 5
3 Dr. Cowley asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the steps he is taking to ensure a multimillion euro budget response for the damage resulting from at least 20 landslides in the Inver, Pollathomas area of north Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23694/03]
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.
I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. The response by Mayo County Council was magnificent but it could only go so far. It cleared the bridges and the roads. However, the people have debris in their houses which they would like to clear, but they need skips and bins to do that. They also require an independent assessment and they are very concerned about that. It was announced today that this area is an unemployment blackspot, with 40% unemployment. This area was bleeding but now it has been mortally wounded. Therefore, it is important for the people in the area to receive aid.
I would like to hear the details of the aid that will be given. I am aware that when similar assistance was given to people whose houses were damaged in Dublin, that assistance was in the sum of double figures in the thousands, but I heard a whisper that the assistance that will be given to people whose houses were damaged in this area may be in the sum of single figures in the thousands. The damage in this area requires proper assessment.
My Independent colleagues who visited Pollathomas told me that there was a rapid response when damage was caused to householders in Dublin. Local authority officials called to the insurance companies concerned. The Government might consider a similar approach in this case because people in Pollathomas have been told that their house insurance premiums will be increased or that their insurance will not be renewed. When similar damage was caused to householders in Dublin, officials in the local authority concerned said the local authority would carry out the necessary work and, therefore, the insurance premiums of the householders concerned would not be affected. A negotiation was done in that instance and I ask the Minister to consider doing that in this case.
An independent response is required in this case. Mayo County Council has gone as far as it can in its response. The Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, co-ordinated a response in the case of the damage caused to householders in Dublin and perhaps he will do the same for the people in this part of Mayo.
The Minister referred to the CLÁR programme, for which the budget is small. In this case, at least €10 million worth of damage has been caused to private property. The roads, footpaths and drains have been looked after, but the people have not been looked after. Some 15 families are out of their houses and they cannot return to them. Would it be possible to consider putting in place a fund that could be released under a protocol to avoid a period of waiting for a response? In this case people have been waiting for a long time for a response and the Minister's reply is the first sign of a national response. I welcome it but I would like more details.
I do not agree with the Deputy that there was not a national response in this case – the national response was instantaneous. From the moment this landslide happened, the local authority was in contact with my Department. The events that occurred were tragic and could have resulted in serious loss of life but luckily they did not, something for which we are all grateful. From day one, all these assessments have gone on, primarily between my Department and the local authority. The key people are in place and the information is being assessed. We agreed immediately that we would fund 90% of the cost of the accommodation required to rehouse the people affected. We have worked on the assessments. We are working with the county council to ascertain the exact cost of the reinstatement works to help it to fund those works.
With regard to the humanitarian aid scheme, I want it to be clear that it is being put in place on exactly the same basis as similar previous schemes, including in the case of Dublin, to which the Deputy referred, and other parts of the country. I want to make it clear that this is not a compensation scheme, nor was any previous scheme.
The insurance companies involved in this instance have a moral and a legal responsibility in this regard. People have legitimately and properly insured their properties and they are entitled to payment by the private sector on foot of their claims. Anything else would be unacceptable or unthinkable. If the insurance companies involved think that the State will ride in shotgun to sort this out, they can think again. It is their duty to pay out in this instance. They have charged these people for their insurance cover over the years, the people have paid for their insurance and they are now entitled to be paid on foot of their claims.
Question No. 4 answered with Question No. 2.
