Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 July 2013
624. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of persons in receipt of the humanitarian assistance scheme payment in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the current number in receipt broken down by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011, 2012 and the estimated total costs in 2013; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34907/13]
View answerThe Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, this Department has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events, such as the flooding of November 2009, October 2011 and June 2012.
A humanitarian aid scheme was approved by Government in response to these floods. The aid scheme, which is means tested, is available to people whose homes were damaged in the flooding and who are not in a position to meet costs for essential needs, household items and, in some instances, structural repair as a result of the flooding damage. Payments issued to householders affected by these floods are as follows:
- in 2010, approximately €1million was paid out to 2,100 householders mainly in Galway and Roscommon who suffered damage to their homes following the flooding in November 2009;
- in 2011, a total of €359,000 was paid out to householders mainly in Dublin and Monaghan who suffered damage to their homes following the flooding in autumn 2011;
- -n 2012, a total of €714,000 was paid out to householders mainly in Dublin, Monaghan and Cork who suffered damage to their homes following the flooding in autumn 2011 and June 2012;
- the recipients of Humanitarian Aid in 2011 and 2012 were mainly based in Dublin (978 claims to the value of €916,000), Monaghan (46 claims to the value of €28,000) and Cork (119 claims to the value of €129,000); and
- to date in 2013, approximately €99,000 was paid under the scheme in respect of 109 claims, of which €44,000 was paid in Dublin and €45,000 in Galway.
The Government decided in December 2010 that this Department could hold a provision of up to €4 million to assist a number of households in Galway, Roscommon and Offaly who experienced severe flooding in November 2009 toward relocation costs. To date in 2013, payments totalling €762,500 has been paid to a small number of Galway based applicants who are eligible for relocation costs under the scheme and have fully complied with the conditions of the scheme.
With regard to my future plans for this scheme, the Department has received sanction, up to a maximum allocation of €10 million, to provide for the activation of the scheme in any future cases affected by severe flooding, thereby ensuring immediate supports.
