£119,000 paid out through SEFA to residents hit by flooding

Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 31st October 2023

Photo by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye

The public are advised to avoid Newry City Centre as it is experiencing unprecedented levels of flooding due to the canal bursting its banks overnight.
A major clean-up operation is under way in the city this morning.
Flooding has hit parts of Northern Ireland and people have been warned not to travel, amid heavy rain and weather warnings.

:The public are advised to avoid Newry City Centre as it is experiencing unprecedented levels of flooding due to the canal bursting its banks overnight.
A major clean-up operation is under way in the city this morning.
Flooding has hit parts of Northern Ireland and people have been warned not to travel, amid heavy rain and weather warnings. — Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 31st October 2023 Photo by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye The public are advised to avoid Newry City Centre as it is experiencing unprecedented levels of flooding due to the canal bursting its banks overnight. A major clean-up operation is under way in the city this morning. Flooding has hit parts of Northern Ireland and people have been warned not to travel, amid heavy rain and weather warnings. :The public are advised to avoid Newry City Centre as it is experiencing unprecedented levels of flooding due to the canal bursting its banks overnight. A major clean-up operation is under way in the city this morning. Flooding has hit parts of Northern Ireland and people have been warned not to travel, amid heavy rain and weather warnings.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has paid £119,000 through the Scheme of Financial Assistance (SEFA) following October’s flooding, the council has reported.

The emergency funds are made available through the Department for Communities (DfC) and administered by Councils in response to the needs of householders across Northern Ireland in the event of any flooding.

Individual householders in Newry, Mourne and Down, who suffered severe inconvenience as a result of internal flooding to their properties, were able to claim a one off payment of £1,000 through the Scheme as an offer of practical assistance.

The day after the flooding began, on Tuesday, October 31, the Council notified residents of the financial assistance scheme, which DfC activated. Since then, the Council has been working at pace to identify eligible households and distribute cheques promptly to ensure that homes have been made habitable as quickly as possible.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Valerie Harte said, “SEFA closed on Thursday, November 16 and I would like to pay tribute to Council officers for ensuring that all 119 eligible households each received £1,000 payment within seven days of the scheme ending, helping them to make their homes fit to live in as quickly as possible.

“I know residents have lost a great deal and there is still much to be done. However, I hope that this quick payment has helped in some way to begin to rebuild what was lost.

“I would like to thank the Department for Communities for its funding of SEFA and the Council teams and agencies who worked tirelessly on the ground from the outset of this emergency to respond to the needs of households and businesses.”