Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

991. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19608/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 on  05/04/2022.  This application is currently being assessed.  The Department has been in contact with this customer and the person concerned will be advised of the outcome this week. 

I trust this clarifies the matter.