1932. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if the policy and regulations governing the financial support offered to applicants under the HAS 2 and HAS 3 will be reviewed and amended to allow for far more generous awards to be made to households affected by flooding where the flood damage has been extreme; if amounts already awarded that fall far short of the actual costs incurred in restoring the property following storm Chandra will be reviewed to determine what further assistance can be provided; if the Department will fund applicants wishing to appoint their own independent loss adjuster; if he will expedite a positive response given the commitments made to homeowners by Government representatives when visiting properties that suffered extreme flood damage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54908/26]

The purpose of the Emergency Response Payment is to assist in minimising hardship by providing financial support to people whose homes are damaged from flooding and severe weather events and who need help to meet emergency costs. Emergency Response Payments are generally made under three stages.

Stage 1 payments are made to households in the immediate aftermath of severe weather events for items such as essential food, clothing and bedding.  These payments are not income tested, are based on the immediate need of the individuals impacted and are also available to persons in rented accommodation.

Stage 2 involves the replacement of white goods, basic furniture items and other essential household items.

Stage 3 is to identify what longer term financial support is required, including plastering, dry-lining, relaying of floors, electrical re-wiring and painting.

The scheme is not a compensation scheme and is designed to return a person’s home to a habitable condition only.

Stages 2 and 3 of the Emergency Response Payment are subject to income limits. The income test for the Emergency Response Payment is more generous than that applied under means tested social welfare payments in general. The income limits were reviewed as recently as October 2023 and Government approval was given to increase the income limits from:

• €30,000 to €50,000 for a single person

• €50,000 to €90,000 for a couple

• €10,000 to €15,000 per dependent child

The basic principle of the income test for the Emergency Response Payment is that individuals and families with average levels of income will qualify for assistance, which includes non-Social Welfare recipients.

Reduced or tapered level of support may be provided in cases where a household’s income is above these limits. The level of payment depends on how severe the damage is and a person’s ability to meet these costs, ensuring that the funding is appropriately targeted.

Guidance on the recommended levels of payment in respect of specific household furnishings and appliances under Stage 2 are available to assist Community Welfare Service staff and are based on an annual price comparison analysis at which the furnishings and appliances can be obtained on a nationwide basis.

In relation to large works to be carried out under Stage 3 of the scheme, where the cost is estimated to be more than €8,000, the affected house is independently assessed by the Loss Adjuster contracted by my Department. The Loss Adjuster will also independently assess the quoted costs of repair and make a recommendation to my Department on the amount of support required to return the house to a habitable condition. This recommended amount is then subject to the income test to establish the capability of the household to meet those costs.

As an independent Loss Adjustment service is already provided free of charge to householders via my Department, it would not be appropriate for my Department to fund an additional Loss Adjustment service.

Each application is considered on a case-by-case basis by the Community Welfare Service staff, with due consideration given to the capability of the household to meet the costs involved.

Where a person is not satisfied with the outcome of their application under the scheme, they may request a review of that decision. A person seeking a review of a decision should write to: SWA Central Review Officer, PO box 700, Dublin 22.

I consider the current process used in administering the scheme to be a fair and equitable approach and wish to assure the Deputy the scheme is kept under review to ensure that it continues to support those most in need of assistance.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.