Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise a similar issue. It is the very same in County Mayo. We are two months on but we do not have phone lines, which has very serious consequences. To add further insult to injury, bills are being sent out. People are being asked to pay bills for a service they do not have. I have written to the consumer protection commission on that because I am sure that is not allowed. This is an issue that has to be addressed.

I also wish to ask about the humanitarian assistance scheme, which is inconsistent and deeply unfair. Some people are getting assistance while others are not. People are being asked for receipts, which they were not told about at the time. They are now being told that loss of food is not covered under the scheme and that people should claim through home insurance. This is completely unfair. Not all households have insurance. For most of the householders I speak to, their insurance involves an initial amount that they must pay out of pocket before the insurance coverage begins to contribute. It should be sufficient for householders to confirm that they are not double claiming from an insurance provider, and that they sign for that. We have to get this sorted because we cannot promise something, on the one hand, and then find out we have a scheme that does not assist or does not apply to someone, on the other.

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