This article is from page 19 of the 2014-06-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 19 JPG
DESPITE being battered by an unprecedented series of storms this winter only 35 Clare residents have been granted humanitarian aid from the government under the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme.
This is in stark contrast to Limerick where a total of 531 people have received assistance under the same scheme.
According to figures obtained by the Department of Social Protection, just over € 70,000 has been paid to the 35 Clare residents to date in 2014.
This is despite Clare being the hardest hit county in the devastating series of storms which struck the western seaboard in January and February of this year. Damage was inflicted to scores of houses in North and West Clare which caused severe floods, which flood waters yet to fully recede in some areas.
A total of € 888,916 has been paid out through the scheme for the first five months of 2014.
Of this total the vast majority, € 518,104, was paid to Limerick – the home county of Finance Minister Michael Noonan (FG).
A further € 104,263 was paid to Waterford with the remaining € 250,000 being shared by 14 counties including Clare.
It is unclear whether Clare’s low level of successful application is due to a lack of applications from Clare or a high level of refusals.
A spokesperson from the Department of Social Protection yesterday encourages any Clare person who has not submitted an application to do so as soon as possible.
“The Department of Social Protection is continuing to engage with Local Authorities and other bodies to ensure that all households that require assistance are identified and provided with access to supports,” said a spokesperson.
“The Department is encouraging anybody, affected by the weather events of earlier this year, who has not yet contacted the Department to do so by contacting their local Community Welfare Service, details of which are available on the Department’s website.”
The storm damage in Clare was estimated to cost the county in excess of € 35m for repairs and some parts of Clare are still suffering the effects of the high winds and flooding.