Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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389. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of exceptional needs' payment application in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58693/22]

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.

ENPs are 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 assistance with the purchase of household items and flooring for her new accommodation. Having assessed the circumstances of the case, the Designated Person has awarded the person the sum of €4,686 which will be available in the person’s nominated bank account on Tuesday, 29/11/2022.

I trust this clarifies the matter.