Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. A lot of documentation has already been submitted, but it was not acknowledged and I do not know where it went. To be fair to the funeral services in Kildare, I understand about six different undertakers are spread between various towns. They interlink and cross over, which means there is competition. They provide services at prices considerably lower than those in adjoining counties, including Dublin. I would like that to be recognised.

The purpose of the welfare services in this situation is not necessarily to determine the costs incurred by the individual but rather his or her circumstances. If the circumstances need any clarification, what he or she received in the previous year should be taken into account. The person concerned was in receipt of a set social welfare payment, information on which is already in the hands of the Department of Social Production, and was in receipt of the payment for the previous two years. There were long-standing nursing requirements in the case of this particular person, who was obviously seriously ill over quite a long time, and there were costs associated with that.

I have dealt with many such cases, but I have never dealt with a more deserving case where an application was point-blank refused. If the Minister of State had dealt with the case, he would have felt equally aggrieved. I would like to see an urgent review carried out to ascertain the extent to which the person's actual means were referred to. Suggesting we go elsewhere to find out where the family got the money to pay the bill they felt was a legitimate cost is side-stepping the issue.

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