Traders in Cork affected by last month's flooding yesterday reiterated their appeal to Government for funding to help them cope with a bill for damages and losses which looks set to exceed €10 million.
Cork Business Association president Mr Frank Hanley said traders in the city centre were not looking for humanitarian aid but simply some support from central Government as they sought to overcome the damage caused by last week's severe flooding.
Mr Hanley's call came after the Government announced that businesses hit by the flooding would not qualify for humanitarian aid despite pleas that many businesses cannot obtain insurance against flooding.
"We're not looking for humanitarian aid - what the traders of Cork want is support in their time of need and their need is great now as they've already had to endure a tough time over the past four years with trade down because of various works in the city," said Mr Hanley.
Mr Hanley said that last year many traders in the city centre had reported business down 20 to 25 per cent on the previous year when business was, in turn, down due to the disruption caused by work on Patrick Street and on the Cork Main Drainage system.
"We had a bad accumulated situation and traders were just beginning to come out of it and were looking forward to their busiest trading time of the year in the run-up to Christmas when suddenly they are hit by this latest disaster," he said.
Mr Hanley said that he knew of one business in Oliver Plunkett Street which had estimated losses of €100,000 and another two with losses of €60,000 and €80,000. "They're just three businesses and already you're talking almost quarter of a million euro," he said.
He said that the Cork Business Association had already met with the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Mr Batt O'Keeffe, and made a case to him to have the Government make more funding available to the council.
"What we're seeking is more direct funding to Cork City Council to allow the council hold the commercial rates at 2004 levels while we also want a fund to be provided which would assist traders with financial aid on a case by case basis."
Clonmel furniture store owner Mr Adrian Fox also expressed concern that businesses are to be excluded from any compensation package and said the Government must take into account the fact that many businesses in the Co Tipperary town could not get insurance.
"We suffered about €20,000 worth of damage - at any one time we have around €200,000 worth of furniture on the floor but staff worked around the clock for 48 hours and we were able to get most of it up out the way of the floods.
"We've been told the compensation is only for householders - now I don't begrudge it to them because they got an awful doing too but we need some assistance too - the Government can't just ignore us and hope we'll go away," he added.
