Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 4:

In page 11, after line 34, to insert the following:

“Report on extending the provision of disability allowance to agents in case of bereavement of child 21.The Minister shall review the rule regarding the continuation of disability allowance payment where a person is the collecting agent for their child who passes away and prepare a report on extending payment of the payment for six weeks in these circumstances in line with the provision made for payments such as domiciliary care allowance and that the report shall be presented to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection within 9 months of the enactment of this Act.”.

The amendment calls for the provision of disability allowance to agents in the case of the bereavement of a child. The spouse, cohabitant or child of someone who is in receipt of disability allowance can receive the payment for six weeks after the death of the claimant, but the collecting agent of someone who is in receipt of disability allowance, for example, the parent of a 16-year-old who passes away, has difficulty receiving the payment for six weeks after the death of the claimant. On Committee Stage in the Dáil, the Minister said that she is aware of such a case and will look at resolving this matter. I tabled the amendment is that context.