John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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235. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount paid out by each community welfare office under the exceptional needs payment in 2017. [21747/18]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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236. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount paid out by each community welfare office under the exceptional needs payment to cover fuel costs in 2017. [21748/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 236 together.

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 and urgent payments in 2018.

Statistics are maintained relating to payments under the ENP scheme, however they are not maintained on the amount paid by each Community Welfare Office. Over 103,400 ENPs issued during 2017 at a provisional cost of €38 million.

In 2017 there were 2,140 payments made at a cost of over €586,000 under the ENP scheme for assistance towards heating related costs, which includes fuel and essential repairs to equipment. Details of theses payment by county are provided in the table.

Should the Deputy be aware of a case which may require an ENP, the person should be advised to contact their local community welfare service who may be able to offer assistance.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Heating category ENPs by County in 2017

These figures are taken from the Department’s ENP database and represent a snapshot of the ENPs as they are approved by an officer rather than when they are paid. The figures do not capture payments that are cancelled, payments that go out of date or overpayments recouped.