Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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327. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a request for supplementary welfare for medical appointments can be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13794/22]

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 has not applied for an ENP. In order that the person’s circumstances may be assessed, my officials have issued an ENP application pack to the address provided by the Deputy’s office. On receipt of a completed application and any supporting documentation the claim will be assessed and the person concerned will be advised of the outcome in writing.

I trust this clarifies the matter.