To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development if any type of assistance is available to help homeowners install flood defence measures at their property.

My Department has no powers to provide financial assistance for private flood defences to protect individual properties or on undesignated watercourses, which are the maintenance responsibility of riparian landowners. The Rivers Agency maintains some 6,800 kilometres of designated watercourses, including associated flood defences. On designated watercourses, the Rivers Agency may pay a contribution towards works to improve the watercourse for general drainage benefit, but this power is used mainly to enable Rivers Agency to co-operate with other public bodies, such as DRD, Roads Service or NI Water in the execution of public works at locations where there is connecting infrastructure.

If landowners wish to provide private flood defences and such are likely to affect flows in a watercourse, consent is required from Rivers Agency and advice can be given. The Government did however provide hardship payments for householders affected by flooding in August.