Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 December 2009
4 Deputy Kieran O’Donnell asked the Minister for Finance the range of measures he plans for immediate relief of those affected by flooding and for longer-term prevention; the funding he intends to put in place; if EU support has been obtained; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45166/09]
Amharc ar fhreagraA number of Government Departments and agencies have responsibility for emergency planning functions. In the current flooding situation, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government chairs an emergency response co-ordination committee which meets on a daily basis to handle the current emergency situation. I am informed that his Department will shortly ask the local authorities for reports on the impact of the flooding and an assessment of the remedial works required.
While actual funding requirements will not be known until the assessments are completed, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has provided supplementary funding of €10 million to assist local authorities in meeting the exceptional costs associated with the current flooding crisis. In addition, the Government has announced the provision of an initial sum of €10 million for humanitarian aid to be administered by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. This supplements existing schemes administered by the community welfare service. A further €2 million has been provided for the agricultural sector.
When more complete information on the scale and cost of the damage arising becomes available, full consideration will be given to ways of meeting these costs, including if appropriate, making application to the EU for financial support. In the course of attending ECOFIN in Brussels, yesterday, I raised this issue with the Commission. My Department has been in contact with the Commission to establish eligibility criteria already and the scale of funding that might be available. I am also informed that the Joint Committee on European Affairs is travelling to Brussels tomorrow, 4 December to meet with the Commissioner for Regional Policy, Mr. Pawel Samecki to discuss the flooding situation and opportunities for assistance from the EU under the EU Solidarity Fund.
Last Monday the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, and my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Martin Mansergh, jointly published statutory planning guidelines on the planning system and flood risk management, which are aimed at ensuring a more consistent, rigorous and systematic approach to the avoidance and minimisation of potential future flood risk and to fully incorporate flood risk assessment and management into the planning system.
Is the Minister not aware of the turbulent situation throughout the country? The Minister of State, Deputy Martin Mansergh is, because he has visited many of these areas. We have high tides in Limerick right now as we will tomorrow morning. In terms of the impact of the floods, I hope matters will be all right. However, does the Minister not accept that the €10 million being provided is grossly inadequate and that there is a need for extra funding? In that context he might elaborate in terms of his initial discussions yesterday at the ECOFIN meeting with his counterparts, in terms of the general reception he received on this matter, the level of funding to be made available, when it will be forthcoming and the type of purpose it is to be used for. A practical issue that needs to be examined, too, in terms of humanitarian aid is the fact that people who have insurance in their own right might have to wait months before receiving payments from their insurance companies.
It will be important for the Minister to meet the Irish Insurance Federation and come up with a formula whereby the Government can advance money to people who will receive insurance awards to enable them to get works under way. Many people throughout the country have been forced from their homes.
The Minister should elaborate on the ECOFIN meeting, the level of funding he envisages, when it will be made available and the purposes for which it can be used. Does he agree the €10 million in funding he intends to provide is grossly inadequate?
No Minister for Finance will ever accept that a sum allocated is grossly inadequate.
In the current circumstances.
No. However, it must be understood that this is an initial sum. In a matter of this type, what is required is an assessment of the loss and of where insurance cover is available. It would be irresponsible of any Minister for Finance to provide an open-ended commitment at the beginning of such a process. This is an initial sum to deal with the immediate position that has arisen. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Mansergh, as well as the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Hanafin, will draw to my attention to the need to allocate additional funds, where the case for that need is made. Such requests will be considered sympathetically and expeditiously.
As for discussions with the European Union, aside from the European Union Solidarity Fund, no additional European Union funds are available to Ireland for flood relief. Ireland has been allocated €901 million in Structural Funds for the period from 2007 to 2013. As this funding is allocated fully to other projects under the various relevant programmes, it is not possible to reallocate from within those programmes. As for the Solidarity Fund, the ambassador raised the matter with the Commission yesterday. I also raised with a Commission official the question of the criteria for the Solidarity Fund and the Government is exploring ways in which to bring Ireland within those criteria.
Deputy O'Donnell, briefly, as we need to move on.
Does the Minister expect that Ireland will qualify for funding on foot of the scale of the crisis? This has been Ireland's tsunami and people's homes have been destroyed throughout the country. I also refer to the funding that will be made available to local authorities. They have carried out considerable work at considerable cost in recent weeks and funding to them should not be reduced.
First, as a result of introducing the second home levy there has been a substantial increase in the funds available to local authorities last year. Local authorities must take their share in the adjustment and I hope that members of the Deputy's party, which has a rather commanding position in local authorities, will concentrate their minds and energies on making the necessary economies in the areas for which they have responsibility and will play their parts in the united national effort that is required. As for the question on the funding criteria, they are community criteria and the evaluation takes place at community level. The Government will do everything in its power to ensure that Ireland falls within those criteria on the basis of the submission it will make. I am well aware that flooding has done great damage, not just to households——
To businesses and farms.
——but also to agricultural stocks, businesses and in some cases, to individuals' motor cars.
We will move to Question No. 5.
Did the Minister swim or walk?
How is the Minister's car?
It is a write-off.
Was the Minister insured?
We will move to Question No. 5. We can revisit that matter later.
It is a legal requirement to insure one's car. The Deputy meant comprehensive insurance.
Was the Minister comprehensively insured?
Yes.
Question No. 5.
The Minister should rest assured that unlike his party, the Fine Gael Party is committed to freezing rates throughout the country.
I discovered that as it was a Sunday, I will not be getting any days off, irrespective of what happens at these negotiations.
I heard the helicopter rescued the Minister.
