Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 236: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason the Southern Health Board has refused a funeral grant to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [7007/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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As I stated in my reply to a previous parliamentary question from the Deputy on 17 November 2004, the Southern Health Board advised that an application by the person concerned in September 2004 for an exceptional needs payment was refused on the grounds that he had been in a position to meet the funeral expenses from his own resources. He was unsuccessful in appealing this decision to the board's appeals officer.

In making its decision on this case, the board took account of the fact that the family of the person concerned had contributed towards the funeral costs and that he had received a bereavement grant of €635 from my Department in August 2004 as well as the standard six weeks additional payment of his late wife's invalidity pension.

The determination of entitlement to exceptional needs payments under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is a matter for the Health Service Executive — formerly the health boards — and I do not have any function in deciding entitlement in individual cases.