Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I absolutely agree that grief does not distinguish, including in the circumstances we are discussing. Under the draft legislation, it is proposed that a person who becomes eligible for the scheme will be able to claim, irrespective of the date of death of his or her partner. It is also proposed that the claims will be backdated to the date of the judgment, which is 22 January 2024, that found the existing law to be inconsistent with the Constitution. Where the death preceded that date, it is not proposed to backdate payments prior to the date of the judgment. This approach reflects established principles on payments where provision is found to be unconstitutional. There are other supports available to people. If there are cases arising, I will deal with them with Deputy O'Reilly or any Deputy. Deputy Wall has tabled a similar question on this issue.

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