McGrath raises need for fund to assist Cork flood victims in Dáil
Published on: 03 July 2012
Cork South Central Fianna Fáil TD Michael McGrath called on the Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan in the Dáil this afternoon to establish a special assistance fund to help those devastated by the flooding in Cork last Thursday morning.
Deputy McGrath raised the matter during the Topical Issues debate in the Dáil today.
Deputy McGrath stated, “Last November, following a flooding event in Dublin, the government established a €10 million humanitarian assistance fund to provide emergency assistance to those affected. I believe the government now needs to help the people of Cork who were devastated by the flooding. Some homes, business premises and community facilities were destroyed last Thursday and every possible assistance must be provided by the State to help people get their lives back on track.
“We also need an assurance that Cork City Council and Cork County Council will be given financial support to ensure that the necessary flood prevention works can be carried out. When the Councils are spending public money on flood alleviation measures, they also need to ensure that the measures will be effective.
“Important questions need to be answered about the €300,000 spent last year on the provision of a culvert and trash screen in Douglas village. This culvert was designed to withstand severe weather events but failed at the first hurdle.
“Minister Hogan’s response in the Dáil this afternoon was unsatisfactory. The Minister failed to confirm that the government would establish a fund to assist the people of Cork who have been so badly affected by last week’s events.”