Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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44. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the average payment made under the exceptional needs payment scheme during each of the first three months of 2013. [18825/13]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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52. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide figures for the amount of money allocated to community welfare officers for emergency payments of utility bills such as gas, electricity, heating oil and so on in each year for the past three years; her views on any increases in demands upon CWOs for such emergency payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18697/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 52 together.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €47.6 million for the scheme in 2013. 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. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment or predetermined amounts under the different categories of ENPs.

The average ENP payment made during each of the first three months of 2013 is outlined in the attached tabular statement. Statistics on ENP expenditure in respect of utility bills and heating costs for the years 2010 to 2012 show a reduction in the amounts paid, details of which are also provided.

Tabular Statement

Average ENPs 2013:

ENPs for Utility and Heating payments 2010 – 2012: