Just 10 per cent of the Governments flood fund has been spent

Less than 10 per cent of the 10 million fund set up by the government to aid people

who were the worst affected by last years floods has been used in the eight months following the disaster.

As little as 1.4 million of the financial support has been spent, repairing homes, shops and buildings that were ruined during the torrential storms that hit Ireland at the end of 2009.

The Department of Social and Family Affairs said that the little take up of the assistance fund was because the vast majority of the repair costs were being covered by insurance policies.

The funding that has not been used is expected to be ring-fenced and made available to assist during future flood catastrophe payouts.

The government reacted to a multi-million euro flood damage bill and set up the fund to help make means-tested payments to those who were not covered by insurance and could not meet the essential needs' of living.

More than 3,149 payments were made by Local Community Welfare Services to 1,290 people since the scheme was introduced in November 2009.

A spokesperson for the Department of Social and Family Affairs said, "The 1.4 million spent on the scheme to date is based on the level of essential needs of the qualified individuals. The department was given permission by Government to spend up to 10 million as required, so it is not a question of money going back to the Exchequer. There are still likely to be further requirements of funding from this allocation."

Payments that were handed out included for the replacement of carpets, beds cookers and washing machines. The payouts also covered medical bills and emergency income support payments.

The largest payment made to one person was for 25,000. Households in Galway received the highest share of the fund with 422,104 being handed out between 337 victims in the flood hit area.

The region that received the second highest payout was Cork with payments totalling 381, 641, shared out between 495 households. Clare was the third biggest recipient of the flood fund, receiving 264,911 paid out to 101 people.

Just 10 per cent of the Governments flood fund has been spent

By: Rochelle Martinez

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