The cabinet has signed off on a range of measures to alleviate the problems caused by the flooding crisis.

€Â€10 million is being provided to assist local authorities with the clean-up operations, while extra funds are also being provided for the Red Cross scheme to compensate businesses affected.

Farmers are to be compensated at market prices for the cost of fodder they might have lost, while €2 million is to be invested in a long-term weather prediction service to help with the forecasting of any future floods.

An inter-departmental group within Government is also being set up to examine the prospect of helping people to leave homes which are regularly flooded.

Agriculture and Defence minister Simon Coveney explained some of the measures on The Last Word this evening: