Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 316: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Clare was not assisted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20967/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of the Department 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.

The Mid-Western Area of the Executive has advised that they have no record of a claim for an exceptional needs payment from the person concerned either in June 2007 or currently. If the person concerned wishes to claim an exceptional needs payment, she should contact her local Community Welfare Officer.

The Executive has further advised that the person concerned is in receipt of a one-parent family payment and rent supplement. However, the rent supplement payment has been suspended pending the assessment of earnings from employment. Payment of rent supplement will be reviewed when all relevant information on earnings is made available to the Community Welfare Officer.