The Government is to provide a humanitarian package for people and communities who have suffered damage as a result of flooding.
Financial details of the package will not be available until next week. However, the Minister of State for the Environment, Mr Bobby Molloy, said the Government would be "generous in this matter".
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was briefed by Ministers at yesterday morning's Cabinet meeting on the damage to various parts of the State. A Government spokesman said assessments were being made by the Office of Public Works around the country and money would be given to people suffering hardship who did not have insurance cover.
The Fine Gael environment spokesman, Mr Ivan Yates, said there was concern among the Opposition that the Government's package would be a "token gesture" rather than a meaningful exercise.
The leader of Fine Gael, Mr John Bruton, asked Mr Molloy if he agreed that hydrological studies should be conducted in the planning of new housing estates to ensure that houses were not being located on floodplains.