Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1470. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the funding available for repairs of private property damaged by flooding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36083/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, my Department has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as flooding through the humanitarian assistance scheme.

The purpose of the humanitarian assistance scheme is to prevent hardship by providing income tested financial support to people whose homes are damaged from flooding and severe weather events and who are not in a position to meet costs for essential needs, replacement of household items and in some instances structural repair.

Expenditure under the scheme is demand led. There was expenditure of some €2 million to assist over 580 householders affected following the flooding of winter 2015/16, which was the wettest winter ever recorded in Ireland.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.