312 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will support a matter (details supplied). [45773/09]

335 Deputy John Cregan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, in the interest of fairness, she will consider carrying out an assessment of the cost of flood damage to the victims of the flood damage in Newcastle West, County Limerick on 31 July and 1 August 2008 above the assistance paid through the community welfare officers emergency funding to persons whose homes were damaged and who were relocated to alternative accommodation; if additional financial losses are identified and substantiated, that these persons would be compensated by way of the recently announced humanitarian assistance fund, in the same manner as the victims of the most recent flooding here are expected to be rightly compensated and as the residents of the East Wall area of Dublin, following a flooding episode in 2002; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45807/09]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 312 and 335 together.

The Government recognises the devastation suffered by people in many areas of the country as a result of the recent floods. In view of the scale of the current floods the Government has set up a Humanitarian Assistance Scheme to provide means-tested financial support to people who have suffered damages to their homes from the current flooding. An initial sum of €10 million has been set aside by the Government for this purpose.

The scheme will provide hardship alleviation as opposed to full compensation. As on previous occasions, commercial or business losses will not be covered by the scheme n or will losses which are covered by household insurance. Neither will it cover damage to private rented accommodation or local authority accommodation, though humanitarian assistance may be considered in the case of a tenant's personal belongings. Applications under the scheme will be means tested to ensure that available assistance will be prioritised for those who are most vulnerable.

The humanitarian assistance scheme offers emergency payments for clothing, food, bedding, heating, hire of dehumidifiers and emergency accommodation needs, replacement of essential household items such as carpets, flooring, furniture and white goods and assistance for structural repairs to homes.

The objective is to address the hardship being experienced in the areas currently affected, because of the widespread impact of the floods in so many areas of the country, it was not the Government's intention to re-open earlier cases of flooding and I do not consider that it would be appropriate to do so.