Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 1274: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a back to school clothing and footwear allowance will be awarded to persons (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30480/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) Scheme is administered on behalf of the Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Applications for the allowance may be made between the beginning of June and the end of September each year. The Dublin/Mid Leinster area of the HSE has advised that a payment for BSCFA was issued to the household concerned on 8th September 2008.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 1275: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason rent support has not been awarded to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30770/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE), as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.

The Executive has advised that the person concerned has been awarded rent supplement from 1 September 2008 and that payment will issue as soon as possible.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 1276: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of applications for rent allowance which have been rejected in 2008; if she will categorise the reason for refusal and provide the numbers for each in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30777/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA), which includes rent supplement, is administered on behalf of the Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The scheme is delivered locally by Community Welfare Officers (CWOs). The CWO interviews the claimant when they first present to enquire about their possible entitlement for rent supplement. Claim details are recorded only in cases where it is established that rent supplement is payable. Statistics are not held on the number of people refused rent supplement.

Mary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1277: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will review the case of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath. [29280/08]

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 Midlands area of the HSE has advised that the person concerned made an application for an exceptional needs payment which was refused as the executive did not consider it an 'exceptional need' in her particular circumstances. It is open to the person concerned to contact the Community Welfare Officer in the local health centre if she wishes to have her case reviewed.