Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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541. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the number of elderly persons who relied on the assistance offered by the clothing grant and the inadequacy of the exceptional needs payment due to the fact that clothing is budgeted and therefore not an exceptional need; her plans to reinstate the clothing grant in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8287/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, 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 expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided over €36 million for exceptional payments in 2018.

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.

There is no specific clothing allowance payment available to pensioners. It is expected thatweekly social welfare payments should cover normal clothing needs. However, in exceptional circumstances support is available for clothing under the ENP scheme.

Any persons who consider that they have an entitlement to an ENP should contact my Department.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.