Noel O'Flynn (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 725: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if fuel allowance will be backdated in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will expedite a response. [36082/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Fuel Allowance Scheme operates annually for a period of 30 weeks.

The current season's Scheme is running from September 24th 2007 to April 18th 2008. The standard rate of payment of the Allowance is €18.00 per week. An additional €3.90 per week is payable to people residing in certain listed urban areas where the sale of bituminous fuel is banned.

The person concerned applied for Fuel Allowance on 30th July 2007, and, in line with standard eligibility conditions, has been awarded this payment at the rate of €18.00 a week from the start of the 2007/08 fuel season, on the 24th of September 2007.

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 726: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork, having been advised by FÁS to go to his Department to get funding for a safe pass in order that the person could take up a job offered, was refused funding for same; and if he will investigate the situation. [1001/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is determined by the Executive based on the particular circumstances of the case. Eligible people would normally be in receipt of a social welfare or health service executive payment.

In the case of the person concerned, the Southern Area of the Executive has advised that they currently have no request for an exceptional needs payment from him. It is open to the person concerned to approach the Executive should he wish to make an application for ENP support.