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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

Wexford storm damage

Summary

Deputy Murphy described storm damage in south Wexford and poor communication about compensation after both the tornado and hailstorm. Minister Coveney said officials had discussed possible support, but there was no easy scheme and he would keep talking to those affected.

Some eight months ago, in November, a freak tornado swept through south County Wexford, in particular in areas like Clongeen and Foulkesmill, leaving a trail of pure and utter devastation. To date, the people affected by this event have been lied to by local Fianna Fáil councillors, continually fobbed off and passed from one Minister to the next with no sight of any meaningful compensation or plan for same. Last week, a freak summer hailstorm caused havoc in Enniscorthy. Within minutes there were scenes of flooding along the quay and 2 ft of water swept through Wickham Bros. butchers and The Holy Grail restaurant, to name just two businesses. The storm has also destroyed the crop yield for local farmers. In November last I requested a number of times that the Taoiseach would visit the areas devastated by the tornado but he declined each time. Now it seems he is a fair-weather Taoiseach and he is going to visit our main county fair, the Killag show. When will meaningful engagement and recompense for all of those affected by these freak weather events be put in place? If it will not, will the Taoiseach tell them to their faces at the Killag show?

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Simon Coveney Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Fine Gael

I will take that. The Deputy knows that we met to discuss this issue to try to find a way, if it exists, to support some of the families in properties that have been damaged by that freak event. There is not an easy way to do that. From the point of view of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, it is not predominantly businesses that have been damaged but residential houses. I am happy to continue to talk about what is possible and what is not, but it is important to be honest with people about what the options are as regards current schemes that are available or not.

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