Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome this legislation and I commend the Minister on bringing it forward. It has been an issue that has been raised in here and out in the real world for a number of years. I also take the opportunity to pay tribute to John O'Meara and his family for their work and the role they have taken in making sure that we got to this day and that this legislation is progressed. As we speak on this important legislation today, I am minded of all the people who lost somebody they loved dearly but did not have their relationship recognised by the State which was always deeply unfair. I am also mindful of people who will see this legislation but might not see the small print in relation to 2024 and may automatically assume that they will be able to apply for the widow's pension under the new name but actually will not. As my colleague has pointed out, it is a small number and this would make a big difference to their lives.

I am thinking of a gentleman in my constituency near my own home who passed away very suddenly. He left a partner whom he was due to marry but Covid prevented that, meaning they never got the opportunity to be married. He left behind children. People like her will not be able to get anything from this. She contacted me yesterday and said that she had actually applied for the payment. There will be a job of work to do in the first instance in looking at that cohort of people and then communicating it to them. We will need to be clear with them if a way forward cannot be found for people bereaved before 2024 because some people will be locked out. There was always an inherent unfairness in the eyes of the Department of Social Protection in that for every other means-tested payment it was always the entire household income, whereas for this, their relationship was not recognised.

I once met a lady who was in receipt of the blind pension. Her partner got a promotion at work which meant her blind pension was reduced. Of course, she was still blind. Even though she and her partner were not married, that did not matter so in other ways it is still unfair. I would like to see considerable reform in social protection and hopefully we will see it. I think this legislation today is a move in the right direction.

The Minister should take the opportunity before Committee Stage to engage with stakeholders, like Treoir, that have raised issues.

See this speech in context