Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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183. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if financial assistance will be given in the case of a person (details supplied) who submitted their required documentation in respect of a funeral; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24843/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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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. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. 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.

The person concerned made an application for an ENP in respect of funeral expenses. In order to determine her entitlement to this payment, she has been requested to produce certain documentation in support of her application. When this information is received a decision on her application will be immediately made.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.