Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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294. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if an arrangement exists whereby patients who require transport to attend a hospital appointment may apply to the community welfare officer for assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18643/14]

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. The Government has provided €31.3 million for the ENP scheme in 2014.

There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. ENP’s 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 ENP scheme is not intended to cover circumstances where responsibility for the expenditure or payment rests with another Government Department or Agency such as patient transport. Responsibility for patient transport is a matter for the Health Service Executive.