Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

77. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a supplementary welfare exceptional needs payment will be provided for persons in need of urgent dental treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1457/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 €27.9m for ENPs in 2015.

There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. The ENP scheme is demand led and payments are made 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.

In general, the ENP scheme is not intended to cover circumstances where responsibility for the expenditure rests with another Government Department or Agency. In the case of dental treatment, this responsibility rests with the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Under the Treatment Benefit Scheme, the Department of Social Protection (DSP) provides dental, optical and aural services to qualified people who have the required number of PRSI contributions. Under the dental benefit scheme, the Department pays the full cost of an oral examination once a calendar year.