Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Buttimer for raising this matter. The Government recognises the devastation suffered by people in many areas of the country as a result of the recent floods. Community welfare service staff throughout the country have been providing huge support to families every day since this flooding occurred. They have already provided emergency financial and other assistance to households affected by the flooding to cover items such as clothing, food, bedding, heating, hire of dehumidifiers and emergency accommodation needs. Community welfare officers have made over 470 initial emergency payments to people in areas affected by flooding. This includes 200 payments made in Cork. The average payment is €300. Officers will continue to make such payments as long as there is a requirement to do so.

In addition, a humanitarian assistance scheme is being initiated to provide means-tested financial support for people who have suffered damage to their homes. An initial sum of €10 million has been set aside by the Government for this purpose. As flood waters abate and people assess the full extent of the damage to their homes, qualified households can claim for essential household items such as carpets, flooring, furniture and white goods. Assistance will also be available for structural repairs to homes not covered by household insurance. The cost of medical treatment and supplies may also be considered in determining the payment of assistance where medical cover is not in place such as private health insurance or a medical card. The level of payment available under the aid scheme to a qualified individual will depend on the severity of the damage to that person's home and the extent of the loss experienced, as well as household income and general family circumstances. The scheme will provide for hardship alleviation, as opposed to full compensation. As on previous occasions, commercial or business losses will not be covered by the scheme, nor will losses covered by household insurance.

Applications under the scheme will be means tested to ensure the available assistance will be prioritised for those who are most vulnerable. Neither will the scheme cover damage to private rented accommodation or local authority accommodation, although humanitarian assistance may be considered in a case involving a tenant's personal belongings. The basic principle of the means test will be to determine a household's capacity to meet the cost of restoring their home to a habitable condition. All household income will be considered when determining entitlement to payment. However, account will be taken of outgoings such as rent or mortgage repayments, other loans and travel to work costs.

In addition to the means test, other factors will be considered by the community welfare service in assessing individual applications, including whether the applicant is or was homeless as a result of flooding; the age profile of family members such as babies, young children and elderly persons; the availability of support from the wider family; and the special needs people may have as a result of illness or disability. People seeking assistance should contact their local community welfare office. Further information and applications forms for the humanitarian assistance scheme are available from the community welfare service in the affected areas and on the Department's website, www.welfare.ie, and that of the HSE, www.hse.ie. While the scheme is not intended to provide full compensation for all losses and damage, it will go towards alleviating the hardship which many hundreds of families have had to endure.