Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 537: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the supports available to persons whose homes were damaged in the November 2009 flooding; the amount that will be provided; the amount that has been paid out to date in 2010; the action that will be taken for persons with no home insurance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5376/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In recognition of the devastation suffered by people in many areas of the country as a result of the flooding from November 2009 onwards, the Government set up a Humanitarian Assistance Scheme to provide income tested financial support to people who have suffered damages to their homes not covered by insurance. An initial sum of €10million has been set aside by the Government for this purpose.

Community Welfare Service staff throughout the country have been providing support to families since this flooding occurred. Up to the 22nd January 2010 they had already made over 1,952 payments to 1,135 individuals to the value of €790,000. The average payment per individual is almost €700, with the largest payment to an individual in excess of €20,000. Initially, the vast bulk of applications for humanitarian assistance were for small amounts to assist with basics such as food, clothing, bedding, heating and the hire of dehumidifiers.

As the flood waters began to recede in some areas and householders were able to assess the extent of damage to the contents of their homes, claims have been submitted and approved for items such as carpets, flooring, furniture and white goods. While assistance is available for structural repairs to homes not covered by household insurance, very few large scale claims have been made at this stage. This is because homeowners have not yet established the cost of repair in many cases, for example because they are awaiting a builder's estimates. It is expected that large scale claims will be received over the coming weeks. The level of payment available under the aid scheme to any qualified individual depends 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. Application forms and information about the Humanitarian Assistance Fund are available from the Department of Social and Family Affairs website, www.welfare.ie . This material is also available through the Citizens Information Service, and the HSE website, www.HSE.ie.