Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total amount of discretionary payments or exceptional needs payments made in 2007, 2008 and 2009; the estimated spend on same in 2010 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42606/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, 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 expenditure on exceptional needs payments between 2007 and 2009 was follows: Year Expenditure 2007 € 69,828,000 2008 € 82,255,000 2009 € 75,210,000 Expenditure to October 2010 is €56,760,000.