Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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875. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he intends to reopen the diet supplement for new applicants who for medical reasons require gluten-free, low-lactose, milk-free, high-protein, high-calorie, or altered consistency diets; and the number of individuals estimated to require such diets and would satisfy the conditions for the scheme but are not in receipt as a result of the scheme being closed to new applicants in 2014. [28980/25]

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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950. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his views on the reintroduction of the ‘diet supplement’ payment for new applicants which was a payment to help with the cost of a special diet prescribed by one’s doctor or hospital consultant (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30416/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 875 and 950 together.

The Diet Supplement, administered under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet because of a specified medical condition. There are currently 841 people in receipt of Diet Supplement.

A review of the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute was commissioned by my Department during 2013. The research showed that the average costs across all the retail outlets of the diets supplemented under the scheme could be met from within one-third of the minimum personal rate of social welfare payment, i.e. the Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance rate, which was then paid at €186 per week, and is currently €242. Based on this evidence, the Diet Supplement scheme was discontinued for new applicants from 1 February 2014.

Recipients continue to receive the Diet Supplement at their existing rate of payment for as long as they continue to have an entitlement to the scheme or until their circumstances change. This measure ensured that nobody was immediately worse off by the closure of the scheme.

Any decision to re-instate the Diet Supplement would require further analysis and would have to be considered in the context of the budgetary process. It is not possible to estimate the number of individuals that would satisfy the conditions of the scheme and qualify for a Diet Supplement, if the scheme were open to new applicants, including those prescribed a special diet prescribed a doctor or hospital consultant, or who require a gluten-free, low-lactose, milk-free, high-protein, high-calorie or an altered consistency diet.

However, my Department provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. 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. In addition, applications can be made online via .

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.