Over €11m in Storm Éowyn compensation paid as more than 90,000 claims lodged
The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme has received the highest number of applications in the history of the state after the storm caused extensive damage. More than 90,000 applications for compensation have been made, according to figures obtained by TG4's 7LÁ programme.
Some 45,600 stage one payments have been made in relation to Storm Éowyn claims, totalling almost €11.2m. Stage one of the scheme is to address hardship in the immediate aftermath of a severe weather event and provides emergency support payments to cover food and other essential costs.
Stage two support generally involves the replacement of white goods, basic furniture items and other essential household items after a severe weather event. Stage three helps to make a person's accommodation habitable again in the aftermath of a severe weather event. It generally includes funding for work such as plastering, dry-lining, relaying of floors, electrical rewiring and painting.
Stage one of the scheme opened on January 23 and closed on April 25. Stage two and three of the scheme remain open, and these applications are means-tested.
A spokesperson for the Department of Social Protection said 'the total number of disallowed claims will not be known until all requests for review are completed.' It is estimated that Storm Éowyn caused €200m in damage as gusts of 184 km/h were recorded.
Over 768,000 customers were left without power, with thousands of households having no electricity for weeks.
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