Support for homeowners impacted by flooding should be ‘significantly increased’: MP

Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard has said funding to support homeowners impacted by flooding must be ‘significantly increased’.

Speaking after a party delegation, which included Newry MP Mickey Brady, MLAs Liz Kimmins, Sinead Ennis and Cathy Mason and Councillor Oonagh Hanlon, met with senior civil servants at Stormont today, the South Down MP said:

“The current support scheme that makes £1,000 available to homeowners who have been impacted by flooding does not go far enough.

“Today, Sinn Féin met with senior civil servants at Stormont and I proposed that more money be made available to local councils to significantly increase this grant.

“Family homes and businesses have been destroyed, and families left in a financial crisis just weeks out from Christmas.

“They need adequate financial help to save their family homes and livelihoods.

“It’s positive that officials were open to this proposal and will now explore options on how this can be done.”

And Chris Hazzard said that Sinn Fein made it clear that funding for businesses was “woefully inadequate”.

“The scheme to get £7,500 out to local businesses devastated by the flooding is only a good start.

“It is woefully inadequate and falls way short of what is required to get the businesses affected back up and running.

“The British Secretary of State needs to live up to his responsibility to make the case to the Treasury now to get town centres in Down and in Armagh back on their feet.”