Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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185. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the financial assistance available to persons affected by severe flooding in the Clifden area of County Galway on 1 and 2 September 2020; the way in which such supports can be accessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22717/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Housing, Planning 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 under the humanitarian assistance scheme.

The purpose of the humanitarian assistance scheme is to provide income-tested financial support to people whose homes are damaged and who are not in a position to meet costs for essential needs, household items and in some instances structural repair.

The scheme is available to provide support to householders following the recent flooding event in Clifden. The Community Welfare Service officer is currently engaging with 8 families who have been forced to leave their homes by the recent flooding. Payments have been made to meet immediate needs, such as clothing and cost of home heating oil to dry out the properties.

Emergency income support payments to cover essential items such as food, clothing and personal items are issued quickly in the immediate aftermath of the weather event. Supports towards the replacement of white goods, basic furniture items and other essential household items may take longer as it is not until the flood water abates and houses dry out that the full extent of the damage to homes becomes known. The longer term supports can cover remedial works such as plastering, relaying of floors, electrical re-wiring and painting and it can take several months before this stage of the response is completed.

If any person who has been affected has not already come forward, they should contact the Community Welfare Service at the Intreo Centre in Clifden.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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186. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views in relation to the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22707/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year.

The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education and in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid.

To qualify for BSCFA a person must meet a number of conditions namely:

- The child must meet the age criteria.

- The applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and getting an increase in that payment for the qualified child (except in certain circumstances) in the period 1 June to 30 September.

- The assessable income for the household must be within prescribed limits.

- The applicant and the child (or children) in respect of whom the allowance is claimed must be resident in the State.

This year, the eligibility criteria for the BSCFA scheme has been extended to include the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment as a qualifying payment for the allowance.

The back to school clothing and footwear allowance for the person in question was disallowed in August 2020 as the household income exceeded the prescribed income limit. The person's entitlement to back to school clothing and footwear allowance will be reviewed by a deciding officer as requested.

I trust this clarifies the matter.