Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 May 2024
328. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding provided to beneficiaries of temporary protection to reimburse them for taxi-related fees through the social welfare system from March 2022 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20782/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra329. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding provided to beneficiaries of international protection applicants to reimburse them for taxi-related fees through the social welfare system from 2019 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20783/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources.
Additional Needs Payments are demand led and made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
The reporting of the scheme was revised in 2022 to extract more complete information. Statistics on Additional Needs Payments to international protections applicants are not available prior this.
Payments are not categorised specifically in relation to assistance for taxis, and so it is not possible to provide the figures for taxi costs alone; however, the amount spent on travel costs of all descriptions can be provided.
From January 2022 to March 2024, just over €34,000 in travel costs of all descriptions was provided to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection while just over €194,000 in total travel costs was provided to International Protection Applicants, who were in receipt of a Daily Expenses Allowance claim.
It is important to note that Additional Needs Payments, including for travel costs, made under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme are subject to an assessment of the person’s means and the necessity of the expenditure. Entitlement only arises where a person can demonstrate that the expenditure is essential and that they have no means of funding the expenditure themselves.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
