Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman. Others have raised the issue of maternity benefit and adoptive benefit. Many of us do not like to see a reduction in the maximum rate, but there is a bigger issue, namely, getting employers to top up to pay full salary to employees. As a result of work we did on gender discrimination, the Law Society now advises solicitors' firms to pay full salary to employees. Therefore, for many employees the employers will pay a top up.

There has been considerable discussion about the bereavement grant. Colleagues on the other side have raised the very serious variance in the cost of funerals. We need to consider the unforeseen consequences where grant payments may have been inflating costs of, for example, funeral services. In other areas we have seen private landlords effectively being subsidised by the State and rents remaining higher as an unforeseen consequence of benefits. That is all part of a reforming agenda in social protection that I know the Minister will adhere to.