Press release
Supports available to householders affected by severe flooding in South East
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, has said her department will support householders affected by the severe flooding in the South East.
The department’s Community Welfare Service officials are engaging with Wexford County Council and other agencies in response to the recent flooding event.
Minister Humphreys said that the interagency response ensures that supports will be provided to those affected as quickly as possible.
The Humanitarian Assistance scheme in the Minister’s department has been activated.
As the clean-up operation begins, financial supports will be made available to the householders affected.
Anyone needing to make enquiries about the supports available to them can contact the department at 087-9859290 or email Kieran.Dunne1@welfare.ie
Minister Humphreys said:
"The officials in my department are working with local agencies in Wexford and other counties affected to help those people whose homes have been impacted by the severe flooding.
“The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme has been activated and any families and individuals in need of assistance can contact Our Community Welfare Service teams to assist with financial support."
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is the lead department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, the Department of Social Protection has an important role in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of severe weather events such as flooding under 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, household items and in some instances structural repair.
Following a severe weather event, staff in the department’s Community Welfare Service monitor the situation on the ground and engage with the relevant local authorities and other agencies to ensure supports are provided to those affected as quickly as possible. Emergency income support payments to cover essential items such as food, clothing and personal items are quickly issued in the immediate aftermath of the event. Financial 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 will become known. The longer term financial support covers necessary remedial works and can include plastering, dry-lining, relaying of floors, electrical re-wiring and painting. It could take some months before this stage of the response is completed and final payments issue.