Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2024
396. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to address several matters (details supplied) regarding the flooding in east Cork in October 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16334/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is designated as the lead Department for co-ordinating the response at national level to seven scenarios, including severe weather and flooding.
The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) within my Department, is tasked with co-ordinating the immediate response to these emergencies, working closely with Met Éireann, supporting the local authorities and the other Principal Response Agencies. Local authorities are designated as lead agencies for co-ordinating the local response to flooding emergencies as per the Government decision relating to the “Framework for Major Emergency Management”.
All local authorities have an established Severe Weather Assessment Team in place, monitoring Met Éireann weather warnings, High Tide Advisories and the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) advisory warnings. All local authorities have Severe Weather/ Flood Plans in place to support the response to weather emergencies. The NDFEM, in its role as Chair of the National Steering Group for Major Emergency Management, issued “A Guide to Flood Emergencies” in March 2024 to all local authorities, providing updated information on co-ordinating a response to flood emergencies.
Since 2009, my Department has made financial support available to assist local authorities in meeting the unbudgeted costs of clean-up and necessary immediate works for exceptional overtime payments, the hire of plant and heavy machinery, the purchase of materials required for the clean-up and the hire of contractors associated with significant severe weather emergency events.
This is in recognition of the exceptional nature of the activities carried out by local authorities in responding to these types of emergencies and the fact that the costs of these un-programmed activities generally cannot be met from within existing resources. This practice is considered a vital enabler of the local authority response, providing the assurance that availability of resources is not a limiting factor in providing an effective local response.
In the context of the flooding that occurred throughout the country – though experienced most acutely in East Cork - in the aftermath of Storms Babet, Ciarán and Debi, each of which affected Ireland in quick succession during Q4 2023, clearly the costs of the immediate response/clean-up met the criteria of an exceptional severe event that could not be budgeted from within existing local authority funding.
My Department worked with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform to secure supplementary exchequer funding to contribute towards the exceptional expenditure directly associated with local authority flood responses in 2023. Each affected local authority made a submission detailing their eligible unbudgeted expenditure and Cork County Council received in excess of €3.7 million from my Department to support the necessary clean up and immediate response costs.
With reference to the severe flooding impacts in East Cork, my Department has no role in the planning, funding or provision of flood defences or structural works in the context of flood prevention. Neither does my Department have a role in providing funding to small business or residents who are impacted by flooding.
The Department of Social Protection administer the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme to support households affected by flooding. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment activate the Flooding Support Scheme for small businesses, sports clubs, community and voluntary organisations that are impacted by flooding. The OPW lead on flood risk management and the construction of flood defence measures, working directly with local authorities.
