PEOPLE IN flood-stricken towns across the State continued to struggle with high water levels yesterday as the Government announced an initial €10 million towards a Humanitarian Assistance Scheme.
The west coast faced further storm force 10 winds and up to 30mm of rain last night and there were calls from local councillors for south and east Galway to be declared an “emergency disaster zone”.
Galway county manager Martina Moloney said she believed up to 1,300 square miles in the county had felt the impact of the floods, including some 65 roads which are closed. “When the waters abate, we will need significant investment in roads, bridges and the water service plant in Ballinasloe, all of which have been hit by this.”
The villages of Kiltartan and Skehana were among a number of south Galway areas seriously affected yesterday, with up to seven feet of water in Kiltartan church.
Flooding on the Shannon has affected the entire river basin area from Leitrim and Roscommon down to Clare and Limerick. Irish Coast Guard crews were monitoring water levels on the river last night.
The Army was called in as water levels rose in Athlone, Co Westmeath. Up to 30 Army personnel worked with members of the local authority to put down sandbags in parts of the town.
Longford/Westmeath TD Mary O’Rourke said the flooding was “way, way, way beyond what they talked about in 1954, so it is really horrendous,” she said.
In the Dáil the Taoiseach Brian Cowen said an additional €2 million would be allocated to farmers affected by the floods. Mr Cowen said the Government’s announcement did not represent the full response from the Coalition. Inquiries were being made about the possibility of availing of money from Europe.
The Taoiseach agreed to change the business of the House to allow for earlier statements on the flooding following complaints from Opposition deputies.
Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin attended yesterday’s meeting of the taskforce on emergency planning and the taskforce’s chairman Sean Hogan briefed Cabinet on the latest situation around the State.
Ms Hanafin said the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme would provide means-tested financial support to people whose homes had suffered damage.
The fund “will be administered on the ground by the local Community Welfare Services” and “will provide hardship alleviation assistance, as opposed to full compensation, to householders affected by the flooding”, she said in a statement.
Damage to a person’s home and its basic contents, such as carpets, flooring, furniture, household appliances and bedding, will be the main criteria. Ms Hanafin said she was “conscious that for some families it could be months before the damage to their homes is fully repaired” and the scheme will be there for them in the months ahead”.
