Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for domiciliary care allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31767/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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An application for domiciliary care allowance was received on the 28th September 2011. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department's Medical Assessors for their medical opinion on the case. Upon receipt of this opinion, a decision will issue to the customer.

It should be noted that it is currently taking up to ten weeks to process an application.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 147: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding social welfare discretionary payments in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry while their case is being reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31779/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department's representative administering the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme has advised that the person concerned has been refused SWA as she does not satisfied the habitual residence condition (HRC).

Once off exceptional needs payments (ENP) may be made to eligible applicants without reference to the habitual residence condition. These payments may be made to help meet an essential once–off cost which an applicant is unable to meet from his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is determined based on the particular circumstances of the case. The person concerned should contact the Department's representative administering SWA to pursue any entitlement she may have to an ENP payment.