The provision of humanitarian aid for people affected by flooding will be decided once the Office of Public Works has a fully detailed picture of the extent of flooding, the Dáil has been told.
Mr Tom Parlon, Minister of State for the OPW, said the criteria used for assessing eligibility were homelessness, damage to homes, serious injury or loss of income.
"The House should be aware that the policy in implementing humanitarian aid schemes is to provide assistance to relieve hardship arising out of damage to people's homes. It has not been the practice to include assistance to businesses in these schemes."
In 2002, he said, the OPW spent €13.5 million on humanitarian aid following the serious floods then.
Mr Parlon the extent of the current floods was not yet totally clear but he had received reports of a number of severely affected areas, including Cork, Waterford, Arklow, Mallow and Wexford.
"There are many other areas where localised flooding occurred on a smaller scale but, of course, no less traumatic for people directly affected."
Outlining the extent of the flood relief schemes completed or nearly finished since 2002, Mr Parlon pointed out that neither Cork nor Wexford were included in the current programme, but his officials would be in touch with the local authorities in the next few days.
However, Ms Kathleen Lynch (Lab, Cork North Central) said the Minister had "missed the boat".
His answer would have been suitable last week but not now, in light of the situation in Cork.
She said that Cork City Council had sought funding "for the last 20 years to improve the quay wall. There has been a sign on one section of this wall for the last eight years warning motorists not to park too near it in case it falls in the river, taking any nearby parked vehicles with it."
This was not the first time cook had suffered flooding but this time there was five feet of flood water and Ms Lynch called for compensation for householders and traders.
When Mr Bernard Allen (FG, Cork North Central) asked the Minister to correct the impression he had given that he had not been approached by the authorities in Cork, Mr Parlon said: "I am stating fact. Cork City Council did not make an approach to the OPW with regard to a flood relief scheme."
