Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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229. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3 is entitled to any supplementary benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44123/13]

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 and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. It is expected that the estimated expenditure for ENPs in 2013 will be over €35 million.

There is no automatic entitlement to an ENP 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 scheme is not intended to cover circumstances where responsibility rests with another Government Department or Agency. Concerns in relation to the charges levied on residents by the organisation concerned should be raised with the management of the facility and the Health Service Executive.