Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 440 of 19 January 2013, if she is implying that a community welfare officer can use their discretion as to whether to continue payment if a person has to leave the country more than once; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10095/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Payment of any allowance under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) is governed by legislation. The relevant legislation is relation to the payment of SWA is Section 189 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 which states

“Subject to this Act, every person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet his or her needs and the needs of any qualified adult or qualified child of the person shall be entitled to supplementary welfare allowance.”.

There is no exemption within the supplementary welfare allowance legislation to allow for payment to continue to persons outside the State and I have no plans to change the conditions under which SWA is payable.