Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 244: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position of an appeal in relation to supplementary welfare allowance payments by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23142/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Apart from a number of excluded categories, anyone in the State who satisfies a means test, has applied for any other benefit or allowances, has registered for work with FÁS if they are of working age and satisfies a habitual residency test may qualify for basic SWA. Under the legislation a number of categories are specifically excluded from receiving assistance. These are people in full-time work, people in full-time education and people involved in trade disputes.

The Dublin/Mid-Leinster Area of the HSE has advised that the person concerned was refused basic SWA in June 2007 as he failed, at the time, to provide credible evidence that he satisfied the habitual residence condition and also because he was unable to provide evidence of his sources of income. The person concerned appealed the decision to the designated appeals officer of the Executive in July 2007. His appeal was allowed in August 2007 subject to the provision of additional relevant information that would enable the Executive to make a decision regarding his application.

The Community Welfare division of the Executive wrote to the person concerned in September 2007 requesting the provision of additional information in order to examine his application. To date the Executive has not received a reply.