Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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749. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the amount paid out by her Department under the exceptional needs payment in each of the past four years, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32533/17]

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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750. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications made to her Department for assistance in covering the cost of a funeral in each of the past four years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32534/17]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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766. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the budget for exceptional needs payment in each of the years 2012 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32909/17]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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767. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the expenditure on exceptional needs payments in each of the years 2012 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32910/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 749, 750, 766 and 767 together.

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 exceptional and urgent needs payments in 2017.

The ENP scheme is demand led and provides assistance to those with exceptional needs 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. Details of the Revised Estimate allocation and expenditure under the ENP and UNP schemes for 2012 to 2017 are set out in the following tabular statement. The Department does not maintain details of expenditure by county.

An application can be made under the ENP scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the family of the deceased person without causing hardship. 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 attached tabular statement sets out the number of ENPs made in respect of funeral and burial costs for the years 2013 to 2016.

I can assure the Deputies that the ENP scheme is kept under review to ensure that it continues to support those most in need of assistance. Any persons who consider that they have an entitlement to an ENP should contact my Department.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.

Table 1: Exchequer Provision for ENP & UNP schemes 2012 to 2017

*2016 Outturn is provisional

Table 2: Number of ENPs in respect of Funeral and Burial costs in 2013 - 2016