Flooding to become ever more frequent issue in the midlands – Corcoran Kennedy

Fine Gael TD for Laois/Offaly, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, has said that while the local response to recent flooding has been fantastic, preparations for more frequent incidents must be made as climate change becomes an issue.

“The response of the county councils and local volunteers to the recent severe flooding has been exemplary. The local community has dealt with the flooding better than ever before, but the unfortunate reality is that families, farmers and businesses are set to be inconvenienced again as the climate changes.

“This year many homes and businesses have suffered due to flooding, and a huge amount of land remains submerged. The Government has provided emergency humanitarian support of up to €20,000 for small businesses with up to 20 employees which are not covered by flood insurance . County councils have also worked extremely hard to clear flood water from roads, homes and businesses.

“ The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is also available which provides emergency income support, replacement of goods and household items, as well as long term financial aid and works.

“Every effort must be made to ensure that flood relief works are planned, funded and in place to protect the midlands from further flooding. However we must all accept that further flooding in the future is inevitable as climate change becomes a real issue.

“This highlights once again the importance of setting and working to achieve our climate change targets. The White Paper on Energy was printed last week outlining our commitment to reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. These commitments are closely linked to flooding and other climate related issues that we have been experiencing.

“The hard work of local communities over the past few weeks must be commended, but in order to prevent further incidents, it is vital that we not only think about flood relief but that society in general begins to seriously address the issue of climate change.”