Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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109. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for exceptional needs payments received by her Department, in each of the past twelve months, to date; the number approved; the number refused, those pending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17842/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, 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 €27.9 million for the ENP scheme 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.

Statistics are maintained relating to payments under the ENP scheme, however they are not maintained on the number of applications or the outcome of those applications. The number of ENP payments made in each of the past 12 months is contained in the tabular statement.

Number of ENP Payments in each of the past 12 months: