Vol. 424 No. 2
173 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if, under the terms of his recent directive concerning payments for the supplementary welfare allowance scheme towards ESB bills, he can accommodate particular cases of hardship where a long term agreement between a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3 and the ESB has been entered into to pay off arrears.
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered by the health boards on behalf of my Department. Under the provisions of the scheme, health boards are empowered to make a single payment to meet an exceptional need.
I understand that the Eastern Health Board has made a once-off payment towards arrears of ESB payments owned by the person concerned and that he is currently making weekly payments to the ESB to clear the balance. I understand that these arrangements are acceptable to all sides and that the ESB are willing to renegotiate the arrangements if they are causing undue hardship to the person in question.
