Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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125. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if families living in emergency homeless accommodation can access an exceptional needs payment to pay for taxis for their children to go to school; if not, the reason for same; and if she will reconsider this position. [62142/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants.

Families living in emergency accommodation placements may have additional costs, such as travel. Under the 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. In addition support can be provided through a supplement under the SWA scheme which can be awarded to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary.

Decisions on ENPs and SWA supplements 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. Assistance can be provided for travel costs where there are no other supports available.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.