James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for attending the House to take this important and, indeed, sad motion on the Adjournment. I am bringing this matter before the House to highlight the need for the Minister for Social and Family Affairs to clarify the position concerning his Department's refusal to grant an orphan's contributory allowance or supplementary welfare allowance to the grandparents — whose names I have supplied — of two young children whose mother died tragically last year. The children's father, from whom their mother was divorced, has remarried and has a new family, leaving the children to all extents and purposes orphaned and in the care of their grandparents.

While not technically orphaned, the two young children who are the subject of this motion are, for all practical purposes, without parents and have been left in the care of their grandparents who are doing a wonderful job in caring for them on limited resources. The children lost their mother tragically last year. Prior to her death, she had been divorced from their father who subsequently remarried and has a new family of his own in the United Kingdom. The children's grandparents retired to Ireland four years ago, having worked and paid contributions in the UK for over 45 years. The grandmother subsequently took up part-time employment here to help finance their retirement. On 6 July 2004, their daughter died leaving two young sons aged eight and 13 years. The children asked to remain in Longford with their grandparents, continuing their education there, and the grandparents were given custody of the children. Their father agreed to pay a small amount for their keep on a monthly basis. At this stage the grandmother had to give up her job to care for the children.

The couple applied for State assistance in the form of an orphan's contributory allowance or a supplementary welfare allowance, but were refused both. These allowances are not universal, but rather selective payments and that is the nub of the matter. In assessing this case, it is important to consider its circumstances, which are outside the norm. However, special measures must be applied to the unusual situation in which this couple find themselves. I am asking the Minister of State to put aside the norms of interpretation and to consider this individual case, conscious of its unique circumstances. This couple are providing a family upbringing for their grandchildren who are, for different reasons, deprived of the care of both parents. Children have far-reaching needs which all parents, whether natural or not, struggle to provide. This couple are doing their best, but they do need financial assistance.

It is undoubtedly difficult for any couple to be left with the care of two young children. How much more difficult it must be for an elderly couple — the grandparents concerned are coming up to 70 years of age — no matter how willing, to have their lives totally changed and demands made on their finances without recourse to any State assistance. We do not come across such cases too often, but the State should be in a position to provide some assistance to grandparents who are left in this situation. The children concerned wish to attend school in Ireland, but their grandparents have been left with no financial assistance to provide for their upkeep. I ask the Minister of State to examine this unique situation so that some assistance can be provided for the children's care, maintenance and schooling.