I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 173 together.
The Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.
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.
Table 1 below shows the number of Additional Needs Payments registered, awarded and disallowed in 2024 and 2025 by county. The figures do not reflect the number of claims that have been withdrawn, cancelled or are awaiting further information. Applications are assessed on the basis of identified need, income, available resources and essential expenditure. Applications continue to be submitted from individuals who may not qualify when assessed against this criterion, impacting the number of claims not paid.
Table 2 below shows the number of Additional Needs payments registered and awarded by category in 2024 and 2025.
My Department also publishes quarterly statistics on Additional Needs Payments in the Quarterly Statistics report, which is available on gov.ie.
Table 1 - Additional Needs Payments registered, awarded and disallowed for 2024-2025, by county
Table 2 - Additional Needs payments registered and awarded by category
