Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Exceptional Needs Payment Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2018

Tuesday, 30 January 2018

Ceisteanna (617, 618)

Carol Nolan

Ceist:

617. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the exceptional needs payments allocated in 2017, by county. [4500/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Carol Nolan

Ceist:

618. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she is satisfied that the discretion of payment officers is practised with the same degree of latitude across all jurisdictions. [4501/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 617 and 618 together.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my 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. The Government has provided €36.4 million for the ENP scheme in 2018.

Over 103,400 ENPs issued during 2017 and the tabular statement below provides the number of payments by county.

There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. The ENP scheme is demand led and payments are 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.

Departmental guidelines assist staff administering the scheme and have contributed to more streamlined and consistent approaches being taken to applications across the country, for example, with recommended maximum amounts payable for a variety of household and personal items. The guidelines do not affect the discretion available to officers in issuing an ENP to assist an individual or household in any particular hardship situation which may arise.

Any persons who consider that they have an entitlement to an exceptional payment should contact my Department’s Community Welfare Service.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement – ENP Payments by County in 2017

County

No. of Payments

Carlow

876

Cavan

623

Clare

3,126

Cork

12,134

Donegal

1,648

Dublin

32,451

Galway

2,876

Kerry

2,689

Kildare

4,188

Kilkenny

1,412

Laois

3,582

Leitrim

802

Limerick

8,122

Longford

1,392

Louth

1,608

Mayo

2,377

Meath

3,848

Monaghan

858

Offaly

1,259

Roscommon

1,619

Sligo

2,379

Tipperary

4,095

Waterford

3,411

Westmeath

2,855

Wexford

951

Wicklow

2,273

Total

103,454

Barr
Roinn