Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a system will be put in place to enable people, particularly the elderly, to purchase cemetery plots at a price they can afford; if a grant system will be put in place to enable people to purchase such plots without undue hardship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9030/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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There are various schemes within the social welfare system to assist families in dealing with death and funeral expenses. The six weeks payment after death ensures that the household income is maintained for six weeks following the death of a social welfare recipient or a person in respect of whom carer's allowance or carer's benefit was in payment.

In addition to the six weeks after death payment, my Department makes once-off payments to assist with the immediate costs of bereavement, namely the widowed parent grant and the bereavement grant. The widowed parent grant is a payment to certain widows and widowers with children following the death of a spouse. In Budget 2007, I increased the level of the widowed parent grant by €1,300 to €4,000.

The bereavement grant is based on PRSI contributions and is payable on the death of an insured person or a family member, including a child under age 18, or under age 22 if in full time education. In Budget 2007, I increased the amount of the grant by €215 to €850.

Where there are insufficient PRSI contributions to qualify for bereavement grant, a person may receive assistance under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Under this arrangement, the HSE may make a single payment to help meet exceptional expenditure, for example, for funeral expenses, which a family could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their income.

I will continue to keep the bereavement supports available from our Department under review.