Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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608. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of the special funeral grant; the current number in receipt broken down by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011, 2012 and estimated total costs in 2013; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34887/13]

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 such a payment. ENPs are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme. In making decisions, these officers take 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.

Application can be made under the scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses. A table detailing the available statistics in relation to assistance for these expenses is attached for the Deputy’s information. Statistics are not collated on a county basis by the Department. Any 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. With regard to my future plans for these payments, any changes to the scheme will be considered in a budgetary context.

Expenditure and Payments on Funeral and Burial Expenses under Exceptional Needs Payment 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013

(1) As at 5 July 2013

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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618. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total number of persons in receipt of the smokeless fuel allowance in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the current number in receipt broken down by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011, 2012 and estimated total costs in 2013; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34901/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Smokeless Fuel Allowance was an extra allowance paid by my Department to low-income households to help them meet the extra costs of using smokeless or low smoke fuels in certain parts of the country. This allowance was abolished from 1 September 2011. Information regarding the recipients of this allowance or its cost was not segregated from the statistics of the schemes under which it was paid prior to its abolition.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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623. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total number of persons in receipt of the diet and heating supplements in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the current number in receipt broken down by county; the total costs of the payment in 2010, 2011, 2012 and estimated total costs in 2013; her plans for the future of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34906/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, miscellaneous supplements may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances. The main types of miscellaneous supplements are: diet supplement; heating supplement; travel supplement; and crèche supplement. The budget provision for miscellaneous supplements in 2013 is €11.4 million. The detailed information requested by the Deputy is not held by the Department. However, the number of recipients of miscellaneous supplementary welfare supplements, including diet and heating supplements, is collated annually for inclusion in the Department’s Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services report. A table detailing the available statistics is attached for the Deputy’s information.

With regard to my future plans for these supplements, a review of the diet supplement scheme is currently underway and a report will be completed in the coming months.

Miscellaneous Supplementary Welfare Supplements (Including Diet and Heating Supplements)

(1) Provisional