Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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49. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total amount paid out for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 from the humanitarian assistance fund; if she will provide a breakdown for each of these years of the types of incidences that resulted in assistance being paid; the amount that was paid following flooding, and with reference to flooding a breakdown of what was paid to local authority housing; the amount paid out to privately owned homes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9676/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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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 November 2009 and the severe weather in early 2014.

A humanitarian aid scheme was approved by Government in response to these events. The humanitarian aid scheme, which is means tested, is available to people whose homes were damaged 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 and severe weather damage. Payments issued to householders affected by these floods are as follows:

- In 2010 approximately €1 million was paid out to 2,100 householders mainly in Galway and Roscommon who suffered damage to their homes following the flooding in November 2009.

- In 2011 a total of €359,000 was paid out to householders mainly in Dublin and Monaghan who suffered damage to their homes following the flooding in Autumn 2011.

- In 2012 a total of €714,000 was paid out to householders mainly in Dublin, Monaghan and Cork who suffered damage to their homes following the flooding in Autumn 2011 and June 2012.

- In 2013, a total of €152,000 was paid under the scheme in respect of 166 claims, of which the majority was paid in Dublin €51,000 and in Galway €66,700 in respect of flooding.

- In 2014, €1.2 million was paid under the scheme in respect of 936 claims, of which the majority was paid in Limerick €676,000, Clare €119,000 and Waterford €105,000 in response to severe weather conditions and the flooding in early 2014.

It is not possible to breakdown the expenditure between residents of local authority housing and privately owned homes.

The Government decided in December 2010 that this Department could hold a provision of up to €4 million to assist a number of households in Galway, Roscommon and Offaly who experienced severe flooding in November 2009 toward relocation costs. To date payments totalling €2.16 million have been paid to a small number of persons who are eligible for relocation costs who have fully complied with the conditions of the scheme.