Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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491. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment will urgently issue to a person (details supplied) in view of the circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10879/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) is to assist people with essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.

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.

Applications for ENPs are made under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme administered by Designated Persons in the Community Welfare Service in my Department.

According to the records of my Department, the person concerned applied for an ENP with effect from 22/02/2022. In order to progress the application, a request for further information issued to the person concerned on 22/02/2022.

On receipt of the requested information, the application will be assessed, and the person concerned advised of the outcome.

The person concerned is currently in receipt of a State Pension Contributory of €253.30, Household Benefits package of €24.50 and a Fuel Allowance payment of €33 per week.

I trust this clarifies the matter.