Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 30 Jan 2002

Vol. 547 No. 1

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payments.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

852 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if and when the South Western Area Health Board will reimburse persons (details supplied) in County Kildare in respect of housing rent advance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2180/02]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The supplementary welfare allowance, SWA, scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards and neither I nor my Department have any function in deciding entitlement in individual cases. The legislation governing the SWA scheme makes provision for a health board to make a single payment to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. These payments are known as exceptional needs payments, ENPs. There is no automatic entitlement to an ENP. Eligible people would normally be in receipt of a social welfare or health board payment. ENPs are payable at the discretion of the health board taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.

The South Western Area Health Board was contacted on behalf of the couple in question and has advised that prior to making an application for rent supplement the couple had independently secured their current accommodation. They informed the community welfare officer that they had borrowed money from a family member to pay the deposit and the first month's rent. They subsequently made an application for an ENP to cover the cost of the loan. In the opinion of the health board the issuing of an ENP was not warranted as the need had already been met and accordingly the application for an ENP in respect of a rent deposit was refused.