A new permanent flood relief scheme will be of great support to businesses and community groups in County Cork, according to North Cork Fine Gael Councillor John Paul O’Shea. The Government has approved the establishment of a permanent flood relief scheme for small businesses, community, voluntary and sporting bodies affected by flooding.
“A new permanent flood relief scheme will be of great support to businesses and community groups in Cork, helping them to deal with the aftermath of the flood events we know will become increasingly common,” said Cllr. O’Shea. “My Fine Gael colleagues, the Minister with responsibility for Defence, Paul Kehoe, and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, sought Cabinet approval for the measure today (Tuesday) and I am delighted that it has been given the green light.
“The target group for this scheme are sole traders and small businesses with a small number of employees, as well as voluntary, community and sporting bodies. It will be demand-led when these groups experience flood damage as a consequence of a severe weather event to their premises and where they have been refused flood insurance.”
Successful applicants will receive a ‘quick’ payment which will be capped at an upper limit of €5,000. While the cap of €5,000 is likely to meet the requirements of the majority of applicants there is scope for a further payment of up to €15,000 after a more detailed assessment of the loss incurred.
In the past, the Department of Defence operated temporary humanitarian support schemes in conjunction with the Irish Red Cross following incidents of flooding. Four such schemes have been opened since 2015. The establishment of these schemes have operated on an ad-hoc basis.
“The Irish Red Cross will continue to administer applications for assistance in accordance with a memorandum of understanding due to be agreed with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. This new scheme will put these supports on a permanent footing giving assurances to businesses and community and sporting groups in Cork,” Cllr. O’Shea added
