£19.4m Allocated To Support Storm Éowyn Recovery Efforts

The Executive has today agreed to allocate £19.4 million to assist departments in dealing with the impact of Storm Éowyn.

£17.4 million of this funding will be used to support the recovery efforts following the severe storm, which caused widespread disruption across Northern Ireland.

"Storm Éowyn caused widespread disruption to individuals, businesses, communities and to public services with damage to our schools, hospital estate and critical infrastructure including the road network and water supply," said Finance Minister John O'Dowd. "I want to pay tribute to our front line staff and emergency services who worked together with partner agencies in the most challenging of circumstances to keep us safe, support the most vulnerable in our communities, clear roads and restore power."

The remaining £2 million has been allocated to the Department for the Economy to address unavoidable pressures in their statutory skills programme. Funding allocations for Storm Éowyn are as follows:

• Department for Infrastructure: £8 million for a range of pressures arising due to Storm Éowyn.

• Department of Health: £4 million for repairs to the Health and Social Care and Public Safety Estate.

• Department of Education: £3 million for school building repairs.

• Department for Communities: £1.4 million for a range of pressures including emergency financial assistance schemes.

• Department of Justice: £1 million to meet costs for additional policing costs above normal policing by assisting other emergency service partners in the repair of damage to infrastructure.

"Given the unforeseen costs and exceptional challenges facing departments as they deal with the aftermath of the storm, the limited funding available had to be prioritised for this purpose," Minister O'Dowd added. "I appreciate the other financial pressures faced by Departments and am committed to working together with my Executive colleagues to address the challenges ahead."