Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

If the Labour Party once stood for anything, it was the welfare state and the idea of cradle-to-grave protection and welfare. However, in this budget the Minister literally is providing cradle-to-grave austerity and to hit people at the saddest times in their lives really is obnoxious. No other word describes it and as other Deputies have noted, this will hit at the least well-off. Death is a terrible time for people, as well as being extremely stressful, and it is simply appalling to add to that stress by imposing a further financial burden on less well-off families while they are trying to bury their loved ones. As it stood, the bereavement grant of €800 would not even pay a fraction of the cost of a funeral these days. Even in death, the inequality in society manifests itself, as those who are less well off are under pressure, are stressed and are pinned to their collars to bury their loved ones. This small support that was available to them now is being pulled away from them by a Labour Party Minister. She should be ashamed of herself about this measure. She should withdraw it, like so many of these other nasty, ruthless and cruel cuts she is imposing in this Bill.

See this speech in context