Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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482. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of people who have availed of an urgent needs payment in the last quarter of 2023 and the same period in 2019 and 2022, respectively, in Cork City, in tabular form. [54834/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary.

The schemes 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.

Additional Needs Payments statistics are maintained on a county basis. Table 1 shows the number of Urgent Needs Payments issued in County Cork in Q3 in the years 2019, 2022 and 2023. Q3 statistics have been used in order to provide a like for like comparison, given that the last quarter is not yet available for 2023.

Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an additional needs payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Table 1 - The number of Urgent Needs Payments awarded in County Cork in Q3 in the years 2019, 2022 and 2023

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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483. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of people in receipt of child benefit in Cork city in 2023. [54836/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16 and 17 if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves.

At the end of November 2023, the number of customers in receipt of Child Benefit in Cork City and County was 72,546. A breakdown by town and city is not available so, unfortunately, a breakdown of recipients in Cork City only is not available.

I trust this clarifies the situation.