In advance of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, Ministers met remotely to approve an increase, from €20,000 to €100,000, to the amount of assistance available to small businesses affected by flood damage. The definition of “small business” for these schemes will also be updated to include those with up to 50 employees. Ministers also met senior officials at Government Buildings to discuss the flooding and future preventive measures. There has been significant damage to roads across the State, with some estimates putting the repair bill at up to €40 million. Fire and flood repair specialist Kevin Kelly said the devastation caused by last week’s flooding is different from what he has previously seen.

Source: The Irish Times February 03, 2026 22:55 UTC