Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I first apologise to the House for the suspension. There are no pairs available. I have great respect for the House and did not wish to interrupt Senator Craughwell's contribution and the business of the House. I thank all those who participated in this debate for their contributions.

While there are individual differences on aspects of the Bill, it is clear there is broad support for implementing this important measure. I note again, as I did in the Dáil debate, that this is rooted in many Members' personal stories and in cases they are aware of in which people have found themselves in similar situations to the O'Meara family, coming to terms with an inexpressible loss but being unable to access an important financial support from the State at that time of loss.

The inclusion of qualified cohabiting couples for eligibility for the bereaved partner's pension also requires us to address our consensus where relationships breakdown and eligibility ceases. The Supreme Court noted anomalies with the existing scheme, including the continued eligibility for divorcees and others where relationships had long broken down. We had the choice to either address those anomalies or make them even more complex by creating a situation where multiple payments to multiple partners are funded through the Social Insurance Fund. That is not the primary purpose of this scheme. It is important to ensure the equality provided for accessing this scheme is also applied where personal circumstances change and entitlement is no longer appropriate. There are other supports available for people who find themselves in situations where there is a lack of income or change in income.

Regarding Senator O'Reilly's last point, there will be no invasion of privacy. Individuals will be simply asked to declare on a form the status of the relationship. I assure the Senator there will be no inspectors from the Department going around checking people's houses. Thankfully, those days are long gone in this country.

I do not disagree with the point Senator Craughwell made on the State. It is very unfortunate Johnny O'Meara was put through this. Public representatives should look at how Deputy Alan Kelly took on this case and partnered with Johnny O'Meara as it shows us that even when we feel powerless as public representatives, we can take on cases and make a difference.

Many of the other concerns expressed reflect the overall changes I have addressed. I thank Senators for their consideration and I look forward to bringing this Bill to the House on Committee and Remaining Stages next week. We will then be in a position to begin issuing payments for the bereaved partner's pension late this summer. That will be the ultimate tribute to Michelle and Johnny O'Meara and their family.