Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has not been provided with travel expenses in relation to a hospital appointment for their daughter who is seriously ill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31664/08]

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 Executive has advised that it has no record of an application for an exceptional needs payment from the person concerned. The Executive has further advised that the person concerned should contact the community welfare officer at her local health centre if she wishes to discuss any entitlements she may have under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.