Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection with regard to the clothing grant that was available to families in need and on low incomes to help with the cost of holy communion and confirmation days, if this grant is still available to parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7753/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. ENPs are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance. The Government has provided over €47 million for the scheme in 2013.

A review of the guidelines on exceptional needs payments was carried out by the Department by a working group made up of former community welfare service staff. One of the recommendations emanating from this review is to address the different approaches taken, in different areas, in relation to the payment of exceptional needs payments in respect of religious ceremonies, mainly Communions and Confirmations, and to ensure that the SWA scheme is responding to financial need and not occasion.

For 2013, the Department has recommended that payment of the allowance specifically in respect of religious ceremonies will cease. Applications can continue to be made under the scheme for assistance with child clothing. This measure will ensure that the ENP scheme will continue to respond to specific need and not to the occasion.

This recommendation does not affect the discretion available to officers administering the scheme in issuing an ENP to assist an individual or household in any particular hardship situation which may arise. Persons who consider that they have an entitlement to an ENP under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme should contact the local officials administering the scheme.