Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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248. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payments made to persons or families in other than bereavement circumstances in each of the past five years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39120/18]

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, one-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.

The tabular statement below contains details of the number of exceptional needs payments, excluding payments for assistance with funeral and burial costs, made since 2014. 

Any persons who consider that they have an entitlement to an exceptional needs payment should contact my Department’s Community Welfare Service.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement

Number of Payments under the Exceptional Needs and Urgent Needs Schemes, 2014-2018,

(Excluding Bereavement associated payments)