DAMAGE to vehicles, homes and businesses by Storm Eowyn may result in insurance claims of €240 million.
New figures supplied to the Department of Finance revealed more than 27,000 claims have been filed since the devastating weather event.
The unprecedented storm, which rolled in on January 23, wrought havoc with 180kph winds and left some 768,000 homes without power — many for several weeks.
Now new data indicates around €112million worth of damage was done to homes around the country, while commercial claims amount to €122million.
Meanwhile, the latest survey of the impact of the storm shows there were 1,649 motoring claims following damages of €6.7million arising from the storm.
It’s also been confirmed by the Department of Social Protection that the first phase of humanitarian aid, designed to help ease the storm’s effects, has been stopped.
The department said some 62,834 claims were made to the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, which provided food and emergency housing costs in the wake of the chaos.
To date, 22,800 applications have been successful, with an average payment of €228.96.
Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary said those who did not receive payment can still seek a review but must give as much information as possible about the period of time they were without electricity.
But the shutdown of the scheme has sparked criticism from a number of TDs.
Fuming Aontu leader Peadar Toibin highlighted an example of one woman that was handed just €15 to cover the cost of losing €200 worth of food in her freezer.
Toibin slammed the “huge discrepancies” being paid out by the scheme, as well as the rate of refusal for applicants.
He said: “Its very clear the Government are trying to spend as little as possible and have designed a scheme surrounded by so much red tape that it is near impossible to access the supports.”
Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice also spoke of his anger, saying people in the midlands, west and northwest have “had the rug pulled from under them”.
And Sinn Fein TD Louis O’Hara branded the amount of refusals as “unfair”.
