Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Dublin who was eligible for a payment has had this payment refused on change of residence; the steps she intends to take to reinstate this payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16201/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly rent supplement to assist an eligible person who is unable to provide for his or her accommodation costs from his or her own resources and who does not have accommodation available from any other source. The scheme is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department has any function in determining entitlement in individual cases.

The person concerned was in receipt of rent supplement from June 2003 to April 2005 inclusive. The Dublin-north eastern area of the executive has advised that, following her move to accommodation in the north Dublin area, the person concerned re-applied for rent supplement in April 2005. Her application was refused on the grounds that, in the opinion of the executive, the move could not be justified in terms of any additional employment prospects there compared with those in her previous area of residence. The person concerned has appealed against this decision and a file is being prepared for consideration by an executive appeals officer.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason an application for the supplementary welfare allowance was refused for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16202/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, provides for exceptional needs payments to assist with essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not meet reasonably out of his or her household income or other resources. In general, however, it is expected that people would budget their own income to meet the cost of their normal clothing requirements without the need for special assistance under this scheme.

The southern area of the executive has advised that it has no record of a recent application for an exceptional needs payment from the person concerned. However, he did apply to the then health board in June 2004 for an exceptional needs payment to assist with clothing costs. This application was refused on the grounds that there were no special circumstances in his case at that time to warrant an exceptional payment to him. He was unsuccessful in appealing against this decision subsequently to the health board's area appeals officer.

If the person concerned is experiencing special difficulties or needs now and wishes to apply for an exceptional needs payment, he should contact the community welfare officer at his local health centre who will assess his situation and determine his entitlement.