Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 November 2023
353. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to arrange for her Department to appoint a liaison person to deal with the residents in an area in County Cork (details supplied) which suffered severe flooding recently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51911/23]
View answerThe Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies. The Department of Social Protection provides assistance to eligible households in the immediate aftermath of emergency weather events under the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS).
The HAS administered by my Department through the local Community Welfare Service (CWS), was activated to assist householders affected by a number of recent weather events across the country. This scheme remains open to those affected by these weather events to apply for assistance.
The HAS prevents hardship by providing income-tested financial support to people whose homes are damaged from flooding and severe weather events and who are unable to meet costs for essential needs, household items and, in some instances, structural repair.
• Assistance is not available under the scheme for losses which are already covered by insurance.
• The scheme does not cover commercial, agricultural, or business losses.
• Any additional properties that are not occupied and lived in as the applicant’s primary residence are not covered.
The HAS was approved by Government in November 2009 with a fund of €10m made available. Last month, Government approved an additional €3 million in funding and agreed to increase the income limit levels, giving access to those most in need. As at the end of 2022, some €7m had been spent under the scheme.
The income test for humanitarian assistance is more generous than that which applies in the case of social welfare schemes generally. The basic principle of the income test is that individuals and families with average levels of income will qualify for assistance (including non-Social Welfare recipients).
Last month, Government agreed to increase the income limit levels for the scheme from:
• €30,000 to €50,000 for a single person;
• €50,000 to €90,000 for a couple; and
• €10,000 to €15,000 per dependent child
In dealing with emergency events the Department generally adopts a three-stage approach as follows:
• Stage 1 provides emergency income support payments (food/clothing/personal items) in the immediate aftermath of the event.
• Stage 2 involves the replacement of white goods, basic furniture items and other essential household items.
• Stage 3 is to identify what longer term financial support is required, including plastering, dry-lining, relaying of floors, electrical re-wiring and painting.
Levels of payment under the scheme depend on the relative severity of damage experienced and the household’s ability to meet these costs, ensuring that the funding is appropriately targeted.
It should be noted that the income limits for the HAS do not apply to Stage 1 support payments, as the scheme is designed to provide immediate financial support to anyone that needs it, and particularly in the aftermath of a flooding event. Following a severe weather event, CWS staff closely monitor the situation on the ground and work alongside relevant local authorities and other agencies to assess emerging needs and to participate in the local response effort that is mounted following a particular event. CWS staff were available on the ground in Cork offering financial assistance and advice to those living in the affected areas.
In this regard, following Storm Babet, the CWS met each of the residents of 14 houses from the estate concerned on 24/10/23. All households received Stage 1 HAS payments on that day to assist with their immediate personal needs. The local CWS is now processing Stage 2 payments from residents in the estate who meet the eligibility criteria, and a number of the claims received have been processed to date.
Additional information, including quotes for replacement items and details & costings of building works to be undertaken, etc. is required in order to progress the remaining claims, and it can take some time for this information to be made available. The CWS is paying close attention to all claims received and claims are being processed as quickly as is possible. In some cases, it may however be necessary to involve the services of a loss assessor, and this may also impact on the timeframes involved.
Any household in an area affected by severe weather can access the support of the HAS by contacting the Community Welfare Service at 0818 60 70 80, or they can call in to the Intreo Centre at Abbeycourt House in Cork City to discuss their HAS application with a Community Welfare Officer.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
