Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Independent)
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353. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if an application for a clothing grant will be accepted in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2545/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In general, assistance towards clothing is only awarded as a single payment where evidence of an exceptional need is available. This would have been the case last year when she applied for, and received, a payment.

This year the person concerned first applied for clothing assistance on 25 October 2013. She presented a letter from her GP asserting that she suffers from a medical condition which causes her weight to fluctuate over time. The application was disallowed on 8 November 2013 on the grounds that there was no exceptional need. The reasoning behind the decision was that her weight was now stable, and that no exceptional need for clothing had been presented. This decision was re-examined by a Reviewing Officer on 15 November 2013 and was upheld.

The person concerned then made a further application on 9 December 2013. This was also disallowed on the grounds that there was no new evidence of an exceptional need since the previous application.