Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising those issues. To be clear, the PUP is classified in the same way as the jobseeker's payment but it has an extra benefit. It is important to say that. Full social insurance credits are being made to everybody who is on the PUP. We will all accept that this is a very valuable contribution. It is important that those credits continue because they are very important when people are looking for other benefits at a later stage, whether maternity benefits, pension or many of the other benefits that we pay out. The exceptional needs payment is not taxable and was never taxable because it is covering an expense that would occur.

I will move on. The Deputy asked about deceased persons. I spoke recently to the head of the General Register Office and we are looking at doing a consultation on registration of deaths in order to make the process easier for people. This is a very difficult issue for people at this minute in time and I fully understand and take on board what the Deputy said in that regard. I know that our staff are very considerate in times of trouble for people.

On the issue of the CE pensions, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, has met with a delegation of supervisors and there is ongoing work between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in trying to find a resolution to this issue.

See this speech in context