Tánaiste Joan Burton has said it is time for a national conversation on responses to severe weather to take place following a period in which several parts of the country have been flooded after storms.
Speaking during a visit to Co Kilkenny yesterday, where she met Thomastown residents affected by floodwater brought by Storm Frank, Ms Burton said serious weather events were happening with greater frequency and severity than before.
“As a country we have to face up to the fact that we’re getting more severe weather events more quickly and [because of] the consequences those events have, particularly in built-up areas, I think we’re going to have to do a very detailed national review,” she said.
People had not been given a lot of notice but “I think the community spirit and the work of the agencies and all of the volunteers actually prevented even worse damage happening to people’s homes and their business premises”, she said.
Ms Burton said some €430 million had been set aside by the Government for various flood-relief schemes in vulnerable areas and further funding for humanitarian relief would also be provided.
She said flood defence and prevention schemes in flood-prone towns and villages have to be preceded by “a lot of community consultation. Works in towns such as Dunboyne in Co Meath, Fermoy in Co Cork and Kilkenny city had a “very positive effect” in terms of preventing severe flood damage, she said.
Ms Burton, the Minister for Social Protection, said her department dealt with 30 or 40 families annually who were badly affected by flooding, even without extreme weather events taking place. There was a well-established humanitarian scheme “but I can tell you that money is no compensation, really, for what happens to people and just the destruction, the smell, the dirt, the time it takes to dry out and also to ensure as well that people are safe,” she added.