The Government should move to overhaul flood control procedures because of an increasing incidence of severe weather incidents, according to the Green Party's environment spokesman, Mr Ciaran Cuffe.
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, should provide local authorities with the immediate and necessary resources to tackle the type of widespread flooding that occurred this week, he said, "but also ensure they revise their development plans to take into account the increase in flooding due to changing weather patterns".
"It is amazing that in the 21st century we do not have the necessary resources or infrastructure in place to deal with flooding of this kind," he said.
Mr Cuffe said local authority emergency plans needed to be revised and improved to deal with worsening weather patterns. The Army needed to be equipped and trained in emergency service relief work to assist a full-time emergency service which also needs substantial investment, he added.
Local authority drainage crews must be restored, he said.
"Governments, north and south, must map areas prone to flooding on the island on a Geographical Information System (GIS) and ensure that local authority development plans are revised to rule out development in flood-prone areas."
The Green Party called for an investigation into how certain developments were allowed to proceed against the advice of engineers in areas prone to flooding. Resources needed to be set aside to compensate people affected by these bad planning decisions, he said.
Suburban sprawl must be halted as vast new housing estates were encouraging "flash floods" and forcing water downstream where further problems are caused.
Mr Cuffe added: "It is now clear that we are in the grips of dramatic weather changes and that global warming is occurring at levels far greater than predicted.
"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is on record as stating that if we accept a 'business as usual' scenario then we can expect a six degree centigrade increase in global temperature over the next 100 years.
"However, if we take the measures necessary we can learn to cope with a two degree centigrade rise. This coalition Government has adopted a 'business as usual' model and has singularly failed to introduce any semblance of a climate change strategy."
The Irish Red Cross will administer the Government Flood Relief Scheme for flooding victims. Applicants for humanitarian aid will need to prove hardship under one or more of the following headings: death, serious injury, homelessness, damage to home, loss of income or extreme hardship, the Red Cross said last night.
Victims of the recent flooding disaster are invited to apply for humanitarian aid, using a special application form, and return it by post to the Irish Red Cross Flood Relief Scheme, 16 Merrion Square, Dublin 2.
Applicants are advised that the closing date for the receipt of completed applications forms is Friday, December 6th, 2002.
The Irish Red Cross Society will then arrange for aid to be distributed to those in need as soon as possible. Depending on the volume of applications received, it is hoped to have the aid distributed within six to eight weeks after the closing date for applications.
Application forms and further details of the Irish Red Cross Flood Relief Scheme are available on the designated Freephone number: 1800 92 34 24.
Lines are open daily from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and also on the www.redcross.ie website.
Following receipt of completed application forms, the Irish Red will carry out confidential and individual assessments of all applications.
Applications for humanitarian aid will be dealt with in confidence and with the greatest possible speed, the Irish Red Cross said in a statement. A preliminary report will then be presented to the Government.