Burst pipes or storm damage? Ireland Assist has introduced an innovative new product, Home Assistance, which is a 24-hour emergency service to assist customers in the event of a household emergency. The service is the first of its kind in the Republic and will be available through brokers and in conjunction with household insurance products from certain companies.

Home Assistance provides an emergency repair service to secure a household and prevent further damage following an emergency as a result of one of the following:

breakdown or damage to piping, leaks from sanitary fixtures and fittings and fixed water installations within the house;

failure of the electrical supply within the house as a result of a fault or damage to the internal electrical installation;

the house being made insecure or if entry is impeded due to loss or theft of keys, or damage to locks, as a result of theft or any other accidental cause;

storm damage or any other accidental damage to the roof that renders the house insecure; or

breakage of glazing to external windows or doors that renders the house insecure.

Home Assistance covers the cost of the call out, labour and materials necessary for the repair up to an amount of £100 for each incident. The limit is £200 in the case of breakage.

The Home Assist product also covers a follow-up service, which includes a number of benefits such as overnight accommodation and contact numbers.

Ireland Assist is part of the Spanish corporation MAPFRE, which has an annual turnover of more than $5 billion (€5.4 billion). It has been operating in the Republic for 10 years.

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