Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In the context of the change to the illness benefit provisions, whereby instead of not being paid for the first three days people must now wait six days, has the Department carried out an analysis of the percentage of employees who are covered by proper sick pay schemes in their places of work? People may be able to survive for three days without payment but if they are obliged to do so for six days, they will need to have access to the services of community welfare officers.

During the past year, the Minister commented on the child benefit system on a number of occasions. Does she have any plans to change that system? Is the report on child care that we debated last year dead and buried? Has it been consigned to oblivion?

In the context of the abolition of the free telephone rental allowance, the Minister will be aware that many people expressed concern with regard to security, alarm systems, etc., particularly in the context of the impossibility of linking the latter to mobile phones. Has the position in this regard been resolved?

On the abolition of the burial grant, a funeral in Limerick can cost up to €5,000, while in Dublin the amount can be almost twice that. In many instances I have found - I am sure the position is similar for other Deputies - that as a result of the cost of funerals, even when people qualify for the bereavement grant it is still necessary for them to apply to the HSE for a top-up by way of the burial grant. From where will they get the money to bury their dead now? Burial grants are part of the exceptional needs budget.