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Updated 6.02pm
MORE MEMBERS OF the Defence Forces are helping with the cleanup operation in Donegal as flood relief efforts continue in the northwest.
Defence Forces personnel arrived in the flood-hit county yesterday and were joined by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar who surveyed the damage and spoke to local homeowners and businesspeople.
Minister of State for Flood Relief, Kevin Boxer Moran, meanwhile said that the government should set up a dedicated agency for emergency situations, similar to other European nations.
Today, a platoon of troops with 30 personnel and four vehicles have been deployed to clear damage and transport materials.
An Air Corps helicopter has also been involved in the ongoing relief operation to survey the damage and plan upcoming relief work.
The Defence Forces members are operating in Buncran, Clonmany, Carndonagh and Burnfoot and are there on the request of Donegal County Council.
Parts of Donegal and Derry sustained heavy rain on Tuesday bringing with it flooding and widespread damage.
Speaking from Buncrana yesterday, the Taoiseach promised that “extra support from central government” would be provided to repair all the damage in the region.
Minister Joe McHugh said that some families have been moved to replacement homes, while the Department of Social Protection had given support to nine families.
He said: “Dozens of families have now received emergency payments of €150 per person to allow them to buy clothes and other items and further payments will follow in many of these cases. I met one family of six who were able to receive €900.”
In a statement, Boxer Moran said that the State response to such catastrophic events should be coordinated by a single agency.
He said: “There is a huge wealth of experience and expertise within the Defence Forces and the Civil Defence, for example, in providing transport and infrastructure solutions for people trapped in flooded areas and we need to ensure that they are on the ground within hours of a major natural disaster.
It has become very clear to me in witnessing at first hand a number of major emergencies in recent years that it is no longer the best approach to leave all the responsibility on the shoulders of the local authorities.
Fianna Fáil has, however, been critical of relief efforts with local TD Charlie McConalogue saying that farmers in particular need more financial support from the Department of Agriculture.
“Minister Creed should swiftly establish a new Emergency Flood Relief Scheme for eligible farmers affected by Tuesday’s floods,” McConalogue said today.
“The scenes of drowned animals and damaged farmyards underline the financial impact this catastrophic weather has had on farmer’s livelihoods. An open, easy to access flood relief scheme should be rolled out to help all of those affected.”
With reporting from Sean Murray
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Army out doing the councils job again, fair play
Horrible experience for any local community hope insurance companies and all government spare no expense in helping out these families.
@dangermouse: yeah hope is a good thing, maybe the insurance companies will cover this one, but you can be guaranteed they will do everything possible to make the properties uninsurable for any other flooding.
True Gavin…the insurance companies will pay out this time but next year home owners will find they either won’t get insurance for flooding or the premium will be upped significantly because they are in a now ‘ designated flood threatened area’…and that will apply to homes not actually flooded in the area until permanent flood relief works are carried out.
@winston smith: can any one explain why there isn’t a state insurance company?
@dangermouse: Would you want one, anything that is run by the state will end up costing more than they will actually take in.
Where are council workers? It’s not army’s job & they should be used as a pawn!
@Thosj Carroll: Where’s council period? If local rivers drains and culverts were monitored maintained and kept clear, some of the damage may not have been as severe. In any case , it’s seems apparent after suffering many floods over last 20 yrs, no standing government seems to have an emergency relief plan in place
@Eugene Walsh: our home flooded as river hadn’t been cleaned for years, I think it’s the job of the OPW to clean the rivers.
The river was cleaned after the event. Our insurance company won’t cover us for flooding now due to this event. We had to build a wall all around our hime
@Grace Jeaney: around our home.
@Thosj Carroll: …….and they should NOT be used as a pawn!
@Thosj Carroll: If i’m correct council workers don’t work on sat, sun, bank holiday’s. They would require double to work on weekends.
@Thosj Carroll: True. The defence forces are always treated like crap. Cutbacks, Shit working conditions, Barracks falling apart, Crap wages. Sometimes ridiculed by the media and certain sections of the public. But when the shit hits the fan, and people need help, they are happy to provide their service and help.
Bit ironic The FF complaint when Charlie does not even reply to letters from his constituents unless they are with “de party”. About time FF put someone forward who actually cared about Inishowen. People are desolate and the welcome help from the army is in sharp contrast to that forthcoming from the council management, when is the Department of Environment going realise that Donegal County Council is not fit for purpose and no matter what funding they get it will be squandered.
Hope Leo hangs around a bit longer the Bertie did during the tolka flood when he jumped out of his top of the range ministerial car donned a pair of wellies posed for a quick photo and left quicker then an ass’s gallop.
@Dave Hogan: And that was Bertie’s own area.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: true that Fiona.
The politicians, T.D. are on their way with their sleeves rolled up, in their wellies, gloves, work gear all ready to fill sandbags, sweep the streets & what ever else needs doing.
Take the minister for opw out of the loop. All he had to say initially was about a cost benefit analysis done for another disaster in the same location of Donegal. What a waster. A forum for disasters. How many do we have to set up before something is done. The politicians will hide behind this when nothing is done. Ask the lower Shannon residents and business people.
How many agencies do we need?
@Cindy Crawford: Just saw the heading 2 stories down. Apparently we need a space agency too. The mind boggles.
I am just wondering, did north of the border suffer any damage and to what extent it’s poor Southern infrastructure.
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