Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 May 2022
77. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who are applying for assistance with energy costs, including boiler repairs and replacements, under the exceptional needs payments scheme by applications, grants and refusals by county in tabular form. [24681/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am going back to the question in the name of Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan. Unfortunately, the fact that Deputy Calleary was substituting for him did not filter up here. I cannot leave the desk so we have double-checked.
For the record of the House, I received an email at 11.30 this morning confirming it.
I know that. It is no fault on the Deputy, but there is no fault on us either. It did not arrive up here.
No problem. I wish to know the number of people who are looking for assistance with energy costs, including boiler repairs and replacements, either through the exceptional needs scheme or otherwise, to alleviate the major crisis that will affect households experiencing fuel poverty.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment to help meet essential, once-off expenditure that a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of his or her weekly income. The 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. This ensures the payments target those most in need of assistance.
Statistics are maintained on the number of payments awarded under the exceptional needs payment scheme by county and are provided in the table in this reply. Statistics are not currently maintained on the number of applications made or applications refused by county. However, provisional details recorded indicate that 1,224 applications registered related to household bills and heating costs made between 1 January and 30 April, of which 138 were disallowed. The main reasons for disallowance on these applications were that either the need was not established or the applicant had sufficient means available to him or her and could meet the need from his or her own resources or from an alternative source. My Department is currently compiling more extensive statistical analysis on applications for exceptional needs and urgent needs payments and will revert to the Deputy, if required, when this has been completed.
The table in this reply details the number of payments awarded to assist with household bills and heating costs by county. While payments are categorised under the scheme, it is not possible to identify payments specifically made in respect of boiler repairs and replacements.
Anyone who wishes to make an application for a payment under the supplementary welfare schemes should contact the community welfare service at their local Intreo centre. There is a national Intreo contact centre in place that will direct callers to the appropriate office.
Table 1 - ENPs for household bills and heating costs 2022 (to end of April)
|
County |
Payments Awarded |
|
CARLOW |
19 |
|
CAVAN |
23 |
|
CLARE |
25 |
|
CORK |
103 |
|
DONEGAL |
63 |
|
DUBLIN |
70 |
|
GALWAY |
36 |
|
KERRY |
51 |
|
KILDARE |
16 |
|
KILKENNY |
38 |
|
LAOIS |
14 |
|
LEITRIM |
37 |
|
LIMERICK |
54 |
|
LONGFORD |
37 |
|
LOUTH |
35 |
|
MAYO |
29 |
|
MEATH |
44 |
|
MONAGHAN |
3 |
|
OFFALY |
32 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
22 |
|
SLIGO |
47 |
|
TIPPERARY |
104 |
|
WATERFORD |
24 |
|
WESTMEATH |
34 |
|
WEXFORD |
24 |
|
WICKLOW |
15 |
|
Grand Total |
999 |
The Minister is aware the major shock through the increase in energy costs is only beginning to happen. By the time we get to next winter, this will be a major crisis and not just an issue for many people. I acknowledge the €200 to help with electricity bills and I acknowledge the extra €125 paid this week to 371,000 household in receipt of fuel allowance. The restrictions on fuel allowance mean many people who are in poverty do not get fuel allowance and need to use fixed incomes or low-wage incomes for these additional fuel bills. Many of them are making applications for exceptional needs payments to try to pay their fuel bills on an ongoing basis. What interaction does the Minister have with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications regarding the better energy warmer homes scheme? Is there much co-operation between the two Departments to encourage people to avail of the scheme and give them the chance to apply for it?
The exceptional needs payment and the urgent needs payment are available. They are their demand-led schemes, and if people run into difficulties, they are encouraged to apply for that payment. I have been trying to highlight it. We have introduced a number of measures to help alleviate some of the rising costs, as the Deputy has acknowledged. Nobody is excluded from applying for this payment if he or she needs it. We should be making people aware that support is available. That is the State's safety net for people who hit hard times and cannot pay their bills. I encourage anyone in difficulty to go to his or her community welfare office. We are here to help. It is important that people do that and are aware of that.
In my own name I have tabled a question about the availability of community welfare officers. I got some information last week that shows many people do not have access to a community welfare officer within their area. The service is being centralised. People do not have access to transport to get to the central service. It makes no sense to do what the banks are doing and tell people to go online because many people do not have the capacity to go online or do not have the availability to go online to engage with community welfare officer.
Will the Minister increase the number of community welfare officers available? They do fantastic work and their commitment to their job is immense but we need more of them. They need to be out and about in communities more and have the capacity to do that. These schemes are useless without the community welfare officer being actively available to people. A number of charities have highlighted the difficulty in getting access to a community welfare officer all because of the burden of work on the existing community welfare officer service. If that is not expanded, we are going nowhere.
Before the Minister responds, two more Deputies wish to speak.
I have said many times that it is totally unacceptable that statistics are not collected on the number of people who are refused exceptional needs payments. If we do not know how many apply for it and are refused, then we have a problem. We need the data. The Department collects data on many things and this should be one of them. I welcome what the Minister has said on collating statistics. I presume those statistics will only be collected from now on. How is that being done?
I agree with what has been said. I am getting many calls from people who cannot access the community welfare officer. They used to be in local health centres. It is very hard to access them. It seems to be an issue across the board and it needs to be addressed because people, sometimes in situations of real emergency, need to be able to access the community welfare officer when they have no one else turn to.
I agree with the previous speakers. I am concerned that the figures the Minister has given for exceptional needs payments are extremely low. In my area I have met people who find it very hard to get that payment to purchase a boiler, fridge or washing machine. That needs to be looked at seriously.
We all know that places were closed during the pandemic. Accessing welfare became a burden for people. This needs to be addressed. I am finding that people are not getting their payments and we must ask why that is the case. The people who apply for it are the most vulnerable in our community. A fridge, washing machine and freezer are a must, like heating. The figures are low and I am worried about that. Can we get the correct figures, or whatever figures are available?
We paid out €13.5 million in supplementary welfare payments between 1 January and the end of April this year. If the Deputies are aware of a case where somebody did not get support, I ask them to bring the details to me and I will raise the matter with my officials. I have raised this matter on a number of occasions and have been reassured that a community welfare officer is only one phone call away. We do not talk about an online option or anything else. Anyone who picks up the phone should get the support he or she needs. If people are not getting that service, I want to hear about their specific cases and I will deal with them individually myself. That is not what I want to see. We are here to help people and I want the State to be there to support people in times of difficulty. That is our job and I want that to happen. If any Deputy knows of a particular instance, I ask him or her to come to me and I will deal with it.
The guidelines are issued to the staff who administer the scheme. However, they do not affect the discretion available to officers in issuing exceptional or urgent needs payments to assist an individual.
