Sherlock confirms additional €10m for flooding clean-up fund

The Government has confirmed that it will allocate a further €10m, in addition to the €8m already committed, for a clean-up fund following the floods that hit the country, and Cork, over the Christmas period.

“I continue to visit people who have been affected by the worst excesses of these floods,” said Minister Sherlock.

Our immediate response continues to be on the humanitarian side. We are trying to ensure that people who are affected by the flooding have access to the most basic needs such as shelter, clothing and food.

Cork County Council has made an initial estimation of €5million with a potential cost of up to €20 million. The cost assessment of damage by local authorities will filter back to the Department and I am confident that an allocation will be made by government to cover infrastructural damage like roads etc.

However, given that further weather warnings are in place, we cannot estimate the full extent of the damage these storms have wrought until they abate. Nevertheless, the Government is working with flood victims proactively to assist them and I would urge anyone who has been affected by flooding to contact the Department of Social Protection or my own office.

The Government also made a series of decisions designed to alleviate the difficulties of those subjected to flooding in their homes and businesses.

Those decisions include funding for :
1. a hardship recognition scheme for farmers
2. a fodder replacement scheme

Other decisions include :
Red Cross compensation scheme to be extended to include sporting facilities
OPW to oversee two individual pilot ” home protection schemes ”
Department of Transport to bring road infrastructure damage report to Government, with funding to be supplied in due course
Farm family homes to be eligible under the Humanitarian Aid scheme
Department of the Environment and OPW to meet with EU Environment Commissioner

New Flood Forecasting Unit to be established

“These decisions will go a long way in the short to medium term to combat the effects that the floods have on communities right around Cork,” stressed Minister Sherlock.