The Government had decided to initiate an ex-gratia scheme of humanitarian assistance to relieve hardship caused to individual householders by landslides in the Pollathomas-Glendad area of North Mayo, Mr Tom Parlon, Minister of State at the Department of Finance told the Seanad.
The scheme would be administered through the Office of Public Works with aid distributed by the Irish Red Cross Society.
The Minister stressed the aim of the scheme was to relieve hardship and was not compensation for losses. The criteria for determining eligibility would be similar to previous humanitarian aid schemes, namely, death, serious injury, homelessness, damage to home, loss of income or extreme hardship.