Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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558. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the amount of moneys allocated to the clothing grant in each year since 2012 to date in 2017; the number of recipients of the grant each year since 2012 to date in 2017; the number of applications refused each year since 2012 to date in 2017; the number of applications pending for 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41418/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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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 €31.5 million for the scheme in 2017. This is a demand led scheme and there is no specific allocation in respect of payments towards clothing costs.

The Department has provided guidance to officers that it is expected that weekly social welfare payments should cover normal clothing needs. Payment of an ENP in respect of clothing should only be made in unforeseen and exceptional circumstances. ENPs 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.

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 following table provides details of ENP payments for clothing for the years 2012 to 2016.

These ENPs are in addition to payments made under the back to school clothing and footwear allowance where a payment of €100 is made in respect of qualified children age 4 to 12 years and €200 to children aged over 12 years and in secondary school. In 2016, 154,000 families benefited under this scheme at a cost of €39.8 million.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement: Summary of ENP payments in respect of Clothing, 2012-2016