Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 311: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if Asperger's syndrome is a recognised condition under which the domiciliary care allowance may be granted; and the number of times the list of applicable medical conditions for the scheme is reviewed. [22923/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Qualification for domiciliary care allowance is dependent on the child having a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and likely to require this level of care for at least 12 months.

In advance of the transfer of the scheme from the HSE to the Department of Social Protection in 2009, medical guidelines were established to identify conditions which are more likely to result in a child meeting the qualifying condition and those less likely to result in the child qualifying.

These lists are for the guidance of medical assessor's, however no condition automatically rules a child in or out of qualification for the allowance. Applications for children with Asperger syndrome are processed in exactly the same manner as an application for a child with any other condition, with each application being assessed on its own merits.

There is no scheduled review period for the medical guidelines document.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 312: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a child benefit query in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22927/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The query referred to by the Deputy asks whether the Government has any plans to cut Child Benefit in the next Budget and whether tax relief will be available on Child Benefit. Child benefit is a universal payment that assists parents in both contributing to the costs associated with raising children and, together with more targeted child-related payments, in reducing child poverty. The Government is conscious that this payment is an important source of income for all families, particularly during a time of recession and unemployment.

Any plans to change the child benefit rates are a matter to be decided in a budgetary context and announced on Budget day. Taxation matters are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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Question 314: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason the bereavement grant is not made available to families in need in circumstances when the deceased is a disabled adult and the disability was an impediment to working and making PRSI contributions and likewise the disability was an impediment to the person with a disability marrying; and the further reason the current regulations governing the availability of the grant specify that where the deceased is an adult his or her spouse must have made 26 PRSI contributions. [22945/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Bereavement Grant is a payment designed to assist families in dealing with death and funeral expenses. It is a scheme that relates specifically to those who have made PRSI contributions and is payable on the death of an insured person, his/her spouse and dependent children under age 18 or under age 22 if in full-time education.

In 2007 the bereavement grant was extended to the next of kin of deceased recipients of disability allowance aged between 16 and 22 years.

There are a wide range of benefits available to people who have paid social insurance. Entitlement to these benefits is dependent on the number of contributions and the class of contribution. Long term payments, such as the State pension (contributory), require a significant number of contributions given the value of the pension. The bereavement grant is available on the basis of only 26 contributions by the deceased or his or her spouse. This is significantly fewer contributions than are required by most other PRSI based payments.

I recognise of course that there are people who are unable to satisfy the minimum PRSI requirements. For that reason, where there are no or insufficient PRSI contributions to qualify for bereavement grant a person may receive assistance under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Under this arrangement, the Community Welfare Officer 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.