Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2025
529. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount paid out by the State through community welfare officers to facilitate car repairs or maintenance to foreign-registered vehicles owned by beneficiaries of temporary protection and international protection applicants; how long this scheme has been in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14146/25]
View answer530. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if a scheme is in place through the community welfare office to pay for the maintenance and repairs of privately owned-vehicle belonging to beneficiaries of temporary protection or international protection applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14147/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 529 and 530 together.
There is no scheme in place to support beneficiaries of temporary protection, international protection applicants or indeed any persons solely for car repairs, however under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income, and which is deemed necessary. ANPs are administered by Designated Persons (DPs) in the Community Welfare Service (CWS) considering the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances
All cases are considered on a case-by-case basis based on the need presenting. This entails an assessment, as opposed to a specific means test, of an applicant’s weekly household income, their savings and investments, their outgoings and the type of assistance needed. The assessment will also include any income that their spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant has. As part of the application process, a person must provide personal, financial, household, and other information in support of their claim to determine eligibility and to establish a need as considered necessary. An ANP may be provided to assist with car repairs, however it is not possible to extract information solely related to ANPs provided towards car repairs.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
