More than €5.2 million in humanitarian assistance was paid to households affected by Storm Éowyn, exceeding the annual totals for payments under the scheme for every year since at least 2017.
Some 66,887 claims have been made under the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS) since the January storm, one of the most severe weather events to hit Ireland.
Just under 22,900 claims have been approved to date, with more than €5.2 million paid out. The average payment amount is €228.96.
The next highest payments after a single severe weather event amounted €3.8 million after Storm Babet in 2023, which brought flooding to parts of counties Cork and Waterford.
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These payments, made in late 2023 and into last year, are included in a total of almost €4.4 million in HAS payments made after various times the scheme was opened over those two years. In 2017 – the year of Storm Ophelia – some €613,000 in HAS payments were made.
The Department of Social Protection said the scheme has been activated about 30 times since Storm Ophelia. Almost €5.9 million in HAS payments have been made over the eight years from 2017 to last year.
Met Éireann issued a nationwide red warning in advance of Storm Éowyn, which brought gusts of up to 184km/h.
At one point 760,000 premises were without power, with it taking two weeks for supplies to be restored to the last customers in some parts of the country.
Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary announced on January 23rd, the eve of the storm, that humanitarian payments would be available to affected householders.
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Stage one of the scheme for emergency aid is now closed. The means-tested stages two and three, which help with replacing white goods and furniture; and with the cost of repairs to damaged buildings, respectively, remain open for applications from households impacted by Storm Éowyn.
The HAS does not cover losses covered by an insurance policy nor the loss of items deemed to be inessential or luxury items.
Sinn Féin TD Louis O’Hara last week claimed the number of HAS applications that have been refused is “deeply unfair” to people left without electricity for extended periods.
The Galway East TD also suggested there has been inconsistency in awarding of payments and a failure to provide clear guidelines.
In response, the Department of Social Protection said: “It is important to note that the scheme is designed to provide hardship alleviation, as opposed to compensation.”
It added: “A number of variables determine the amount a person is entitled to. These include the household composition, the length of time the household was without power and/or water, and the type of expenditure incurred.”
People who are not satisfied with the outcome of their claim have been advised they can seek a review, the department added.
