Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 April 2026
410. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1877 of 14 April 2026, his views on whether it is equitable that some people with medical diagnosis qualify for the diet supplement administered under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme but others in the same financial and medical circumstances do not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29362/26]
View answer411. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the total number of people that are in receipt of the diet supplement administered under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, broken down by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29363/26]
View answer412. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the total number of people that are in receipt of the diet supplement administered under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, broken down by year since it was first introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29364/26]
View answer413. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the total cost to the exchequer of payments under the diet supplement administered under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, broken down by year since it was first introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29365/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 410, 411, 412 and 413 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.
As the Deputy is aware, 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 €252. Based on this evidence, the Diet Supplement scheme was discontinued for new applicants from 1 February 2014.
Those that were in receipt of the Diet Supplement prior to it’s closure in February 2014, continue to receive 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.
I understand the closure of the scheme means that everyone with the same medical circumstances can not avail of the Diet Supplement and that there will always be exceptional cases where people require support. It is for this reason that my department provides the means tested Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme. Any person who considers that 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 mywelfare.ie.
There are currently 491 people in receipt of Diet Supplement with a breakdown by county provided at Table 1 below.
Table 2 provides a breakdown of the number of recipients at year end for 2009 to 2025.
The expenditure on Diet Supplement is provided for under the heading of “Other Supplements” which also include supplements such as travel, therefore the annual outturn amount for Diet Supplement is not available. However, provisional expenditure under the heading of “Other Supplements” for 2025 is €2.58 million.
