Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2025
661. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of heat supplement payments awarded for each county, for each of the past three years; the average time this payment remains in payment, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72418/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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 scheme, my Department may award a supplement to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary. This can include a heating supplement where a person has need for additional heating due to ill health or infirmity. Heating supplement is not restricted to the fuel season and can be paid throughout the year.
Heating supplements are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme. All the relevant circumstances of the case are taken into account in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
Table 1 below show the number of heating supplement recipients at the end of 2023, 2024 and at end of November 2025.
More generally, my Department also provides discretionary Additional Needs Payments, where appropriate, to people who face difficulties in meeting heating bills. In 2025, to the end of November, over 2,300 Additional Needs Payments totaling almost €1.3 million were made to assist with household bills and heating costs.
Data on the average time heat supplements claims remains in payment is not collated. However analysis of the claims in payment at the end of November 2025, show that 15% are in payment less than 1 year, 51% are in payment for 1 year to 10 years, while 34% are in payment for over 10 years
Any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to an heating supplement 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: Total number of heating supplement recipients at the end of 2023, 2024 and end of November 2025, by county.
|
County |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 (Nov) |
|
Carlow |
4 |
4 |
3 |
|
Cavan |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
Clare |
27 |
22 |
20 |
|
Cork |
52 |
47 |
37 |
|
Donegal |
40 |
45 |
38 |
|
Dublin |
94 |
81 |
77 |
|
Galway |
26 |
24 |
19 |
|
Kerry |
18 |
15 |
14 |
|
Kildare |
12 |
8 |
8 |
|
Kilkenny |
10 |
10 |
10 |
|
Laois |
43 |
32 |
24 |
|
Leitrim |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Limerick |
290 |
242 |
202 |
|
Longford |
15 |
14 |
15 |
|
Louth |
5 |
4 |
6 |
|
Mayo |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Meath |
7 |
3 |
6 |
|
Monaghan |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Offaly |
70 |
37 |
24 |
|
Roscommon |
8 |
7 |
7 |
|
Sligo |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
Tipperary |
111 |
107 |
92 |
|
Waterford |
15 |
9 |
10 |
|
Westmeath |
67 |
55 |
45 |
|
Wexford |
18 |
12 |
12 |
|
Wicklow |
9 |
8 |
13 |
|
Grand Total |
950 |
792 |
689 |
