John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

600. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to put protocols in place to deal with future severe weather events when it comes to the payment of social welfare to recipients; her further plans to publish such protocols for clarification in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11653/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The provision of payments is a critical function of the Department for Employment Affairs and Social Protection. My Department has robust contingency plans in place to ensure the minimisation of any disruption which would impact on our ability to make payments to our customers.My Department is also represented on the National Emergency Coordination Group with a view to ensuring a whole of Government coordinated response to evolving emergency situations.

Officials of the Department actively maintain a Payment Loss Incident Management Plan and this was activated when it became apparent that severe weather disruption was imminent. Accordingly arrangements were put in place with both of the Department’s payment agents, An Post and the Bank of Ireland, to make early payments so that as many clients of the Department as possible could receive their payments before the severe weather arrived.

During the severe weather, Department officials were in continual communication with both An Post and the Bank of Ireland to monitor the progress of payments and to ascertain details of any disruption. Regular updates were also provided to the public on the Department’s website, social media and via the NECG.

Where situations like this arise, further assistance may be available to people under the Exceptional Needs Payments (ENP) or the Urgent Needs Payments (UNP) schemes. These schemes are administered by experienced Community Welfare Service staff in the Department. Emergency contact details for these services were made available when the Department's offices were closed on 1st and 2nd March. Any person requiring these supports can contact or visit the Community Welfare Service at their local Intreo centre. Further information is available on the Department’s website at www.welfare.ie/contactus.