Flood-hit Irish businesses could get €100k support

Midleton, County Cork, was badly hit by the floods.

Financial support of up to €100,000 (£86,900) could be offered to businesses and organisations in the Republic of Ireland which were impacted by “unprecedented flooding” during Storm Babet.

Babet was the second named storm of the autumn season, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the UK and Ireland last week.

Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney will bring the financial aid plan to cabinet today, Irish broadcaster RTÉ reports.

It will be administered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment through the Irish Red Cross.

The scheme will provide quick payments of €10,000 (£8,600) and audited payments of up to €100,000 to businesses.

An existing scheme, with maximum payments of €20,000 (£17,300), will also continue to operate.

Up to 150 premises are expected to apply for the funding.

This includes businesses and sporting and community organisations in Midleton, County Cork, which was badly hit by the floods.

Speaking before cabinet, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan said the support is needed because the scale of last week’s flooding was ”unprecedented”.

He added: "We are seeing climate change hit home and we have to prepare for it."

Mr Ryan urged local authorities to monitor the flood risk, particularly over the winter.

"We're going into winter where in July this year the rainfall was 200% above normal," he said.

"So our water tables usually fall in the summer period and then rise in the winter.

"They haven't fallen this summer because it was such intense rain in the summer.

"So yes, I think the local authorities need to be particularly vigilant around drainage around measuring water table. Really kind of trying to assess the flood risk before it happens."

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar inspected properties damaged in the floods

He called for the flood relief scheme to be delivered quickly and also emphasised the need for “a wider review of our flood management”.

Just before 19:00 local time on Wednesday evening, Cork County Council said the town was "impassable with over 100 properties flooded".

Speaking to BBC News NI on Thursday morning, the mayor of County Cork, Frank O'Flynn, recalled that Midleton had been damaged by floods in 2009 and again in 2015, but he added: "This was by far the worst."

Midleton Community Hospital, a residential nursing home which cares for elderly patients, was partially flooded and schools were also affected.

In Northern Ireland, more than half a month's worth of rain fell in Killowen in County Down in 24 hours.

The weather station in the village recorded 57.6mm of rain between 06:00 on Wednesday and 06:00 on Thursday.

Most of the rain fell in a short period of time on Wednesday evening.