Financial package for homes and firms damaged by Babet

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has confirmed that the government will be offering a financial package to support people whose homes and businesses were damaged in floods during Storm Babet.

He said: "So we're putting in place a financial package to help homes that are affected, businesses that weren't insured - clearly a lot of damage to roads and bridges as well and they're going to need to be repaired.

"There's an initial allocation of 10 million to help families and businesses that are affected, and clubs and voluntary organisations too, but it's not capped at 10 million, that's just the initial allocation that's made."

Mr Varadkar said that the amount available to businesses would have to be raised due to the severity of the damage caused.

"There is an initial grant of five thousand (euro) just to get people going, and then a higher grant of up to 20,000 after that," he said.

"But I think we'll have to increase that limit because the level of damage to some of the stock here, particularly with people who brought stock in for Christmas, is very high."