Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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36. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which exceptional needs payment applications are being assessed to take account of the actual family circumstances, with a view to ensuring the payment remains available to those with an obvious requirement in view of the fact that such payments now replace bereavement grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28779/16]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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172. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which exceptional needs payments have replaced bereavement grants in respect of the overall cost of funeral expenses where matters such as grave space costs are outside the control of the applicant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29187/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 172 together.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my 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 €30.3 million for the ENP scheme in 2016.

ENP payments are made at the discretion of the Department’s officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the individual or family in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.

An application can be made under the ENP scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses, including those for graves, where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the family of the deceased person without causing hardship. Department staff will take into account the circumstances of the individual applicant, and that of the deceased person, including any savings, property, insurance policies, etc., as well as the ability of other members of the family to meet, or contribute to, the cost involved. The staff member will also consider if a bereavement grant is available from any other source including former employer, credit union, trade union etc.

Assistance with funeral costs is a long-standing feature of the ENP scheme, rather than a replacement for the discontinued PRSI-based bereavement grant, and is part of a range of supports available from my Department for people following bereavement.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.