The 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, the Department of Social Protection has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as the flooding of October 2011 and June 2012. Generally, in response to flooding situations, departmental officials provide individuals with emergency payments to offset immediate needs e.g. assistance with the purchase of food, clothing, fuel and household goods. Local staff are proactive in contacting households affected and in providing targeted supports to those in need as swiftly as possible. Community Welfare Services operating in the areas affected extend their opening hours providing additional emergency service. This service is supplemented by facilitating clients with individual appointments and making house calls.
A humanitarian aid scheme was approved by Government in response to flooding situations. The Department has received sanction, up to a maximum allocation of €10m, to provide for the activation of the scheme in any future cases affected by severe flooding thereby ensuring immediate supports. The humanitarian 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.
From October 2011 to 05 January 2013 some 1,370 payments were made at a cost of some €1.188m. Statistics are not available on the number of applications made. The majority of the payments were made to householders resident in Dublin, Monaghan or Cork. In Dublin, a total of 798 payments have been made at a cost of €497,066. Since 2009, there was a combined spend of in excess of €21m when the spending of the various Government Departments and Agencies is added together in response to flooding events (DSP will spend in excess of €5 million with a further €16.4 million spent by the local authorities and over €0.5 million by the Department of Agriculture and Food on fodder relief for farmers, making a total spend of over €21 million).
