Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019
2751. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount spent on the exceptional needs payment and urgent needs payment by county in 2017, 2018 and to date in 2019. [33162/19]
View answerUnder the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for SWA but who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources or where an alternative is not available at that time.
In total €38.8 million has been provided for ENPs and UNPs in 2019. The following tabular statement shows expenditure on ENPs and UNPs since 2017 by on a county basis.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Expenditure on ENPs and UNPs, 2017-2019
|
County |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 (to end June) |
|
CARLOW |
€510,260 |
€626,436 |
€513,372 |
|
CAVAN |
€285,118 |
€228,511 |
€152,508 |
|
CLARE |
€1,091,614 |
€1,631,017 |
€469,801 |
|
CORK |
€5,137,513 |
€6,934,395 |
€2,286,422 |
|
DONEGAL |
€800,383 |
€1,136,870 |
€633,186 |
|
DUBLIN |
€12,026,319 |
€12,175,194 |
€7,268,003 |
|
GALWAY |
€1,218,382 |
€1,169,893 |
€620,292 |
|
KERRY |
€816,287 |
€976,350 |
€580,607 |
|
KILDARE |
€1,628,718 |
€1,445,641 |
€770,818 |
|
KILKENNY |
€589,397 |
€771,069 |
€405,964 |
|
LAOIS |
€678,028 |
€964,242 |
€373,938 |
|
LEITRIM |
€353,180 |
€323,554 |
€133,990 |
|
LIMERICK |
€3,014,621 |
€3,180,516 |
€704,354 |
|
LONGFORD |
€501,404 |
€462,455 |
€372,457 |
|
LOUTH |
€801,095 |
€1,029,870 |
€622,274 |
|
MAYO |
€609,133 |
€734,462 |
€291,432 |
|
MEATH |
€1,048,755 |
€1,319,082 |
€748,215 |
|
MONAGHAN |
€255,180 |
€258,170 |
€179,133 |
|
OFFALY |
€452,359 |
€550,928 |
€256,302 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
€598,386 |
€916,392 |
€389,063 |
|
SLIGO |
€635,154 |
€676,920 |
€328,997 |
|
TIPPERARY |
€1,366,889 |
€1,529,437 |
€675,845 |
|
WATERFORD |
€1,007,334 |
€1,186,372 |
€985,073 |
|
WESTMEATH |
€645,292 |
€675,867 |
€449,750 |
|
WEXFORD |
€632,019 |
€760,028 |
€528,064 |
|
WICKLOW |
€837,930 |
€1,104,825 |
€625,152 |
|
Total |
€37,540,751 |
€42,768,494 |
€21,365,014 |
These figures are taken from the Department’s ENP database and represent a snapshot of ENPs as they are approved by an officer rather than when they are paid. The figures do not capture payments that are cancelled, payments that go out of date or overpayments recouped.
