Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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558. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment will issue in the case of persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38096/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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According to the records in my Department, the first person concerned is currently in receipt of an Illness Benefit payment of €409.70 per week which was awarded on 10/09/2020. There is no recent record of an application for an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) from the persons concerned in my Department.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department can make a single ENP to help meet essential, once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. There is no automatic entitlement to these payments which are payable 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.

If the persons concerned are experiencing financial difficulties they can contact their local Community Welfare Service (CWS) in Maynooth where their circumstances will be assessed. This service can be contacted by phone at (01) 6106143 or by email at cwsmaynoothleixlip@welfare.ie.

I trust this clarifies the matter.