Minister for Defence Simon Coveney has urged families and business owners to prepare for further flooding this weekend.

He said Cork would potentially be hit again tomorrow and on Sunday and people needed to be ready for what was coming.

“That doesn’t mean they’ll be able to stop it. But at least they’ll be ready for it. So I would encourage people to heed the warnings,” he said.

"If Met Éireann is making forecasts, if this office is warning people, if local authorities are getting a message out to people in their homes or people in their businesses, listen to what they are saying. Prepare for it as best you can.

“Ask for help if you don’t have it and we will try and help you, through the emergency services and through the planning procedures, as best we can,” he added.

Mr Coveney and Simon Harris, Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works, outlined further details of a €5 million Government scheme to offer emergency funding to business owners unable to secure flood insurance.

Declaring the damage

Small businesses will be asked to submit an online form signed by a local authority declaring the damage that has been caused. The first stage will provide them with a contribution of €5,000 in emergency aid and they could receive their compensation within weeks.

For those who have incurred significant damage the level of support will be capped at €20,000.

Mr Coveney said this would be a process of self-declaration and the Government wouldhave to trust business owners.

He said: “The Government is trying to provide a comprehensive response but this is not an easy time no matter what the Government does. If you have a month’s rainfall in 24 hours and people are knee-deep or in some cases waist-deep in water in their homes or their businesses, that is a traumatic experience and we are doing everything we can to help them.”

Mr Harris denied the Government was reacting to the crisis rather than trying to prevent it.

“We can’t stop the rain and we cannot prevent every flood but it is important that we have a Government and a State that is compassionate, humane and decent and tries to be as efficient as possible in getting a system to those who most need it.”

Mr Coveney said he could not predict the cost of Storm Desmond to the State at this stage. He said when the floods subsided the cost of fixing the roads, bridges and infrastructure would come to light.

The Minister also confirmed a review of flood insurance was under way and the aim was to make it more accessible to business owners and householders.

Mr Coveney said: “There has been an ongoing consultation now between the Department of Finance and the private insurance sector to try and look at what is working on the other side of the world and what we can do to address the reality that some businesses and households can’t get flood insurance.

“That work is ongoing. We can’t have a knee-jerk reaction. This is a difficult process but I am confident that will have an outcome as well.”

Expressed solidarity

Meanwhile, speaking in Lisbon on the second day of a State visit to Portugal, President Michael D Higgins expressed solidarity with those who have been affected by the flooding. He said he was being constantly kept informed of the latest developments from Ireland.

“I asked this morning for a briefing, and I was briefed by Sean Hogan, the director of the National Emergency Coordination group, on the present position. The position in which the people in Athlone and in the Shannon area find themselves in – I just think of the pain of waiting for what might be a terrible and immutable invasion of your house by water, and the destruction that will take place.”

Mr Higgins praised the “statutory and voluntary effort” that was taking place in areas like Bandon and elsewhere. “That is Irishness at its best. I saw it last year in Limerick and Cork,” he said.