Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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175. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the reintroduction of the bereavement grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32787/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The bereavement grant was a once-off payment based on PRSI contributions paid from the Social Insurance Fund. The person on whose insurance record the claim was based was the deceased, or their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant. The overall concern in recent Budgets has been to protect primary social welfare rates. Abolishing the bereavement grant provided an annual saving of approx. €22 million. This allowed the Department to protect other more fundamental social welfare payments such as the State pension. Accordingly, I have no plans to reinstate the bereavement grant as there are a range of supports available for people following bereavement which provide more significant support than that which was provided by the bereavement grant, including –

- The widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner’s (contributory and non-contributory) pension which is a weekly payment, based on contributions or a means test.

- The widowed or surviving civil partner grant, which is a once-off payment of €6,000 where there is a dependent child.

- A number of social welfare payments, including State pension and carer’s allowance, continue in payment to qualified people for six weeks following a death.

- Guardians payments where someone is looking after an orphaned child.

- A special funeral grant of €850 where a person dies because of an accident at work or occupational disease.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department of Social Protection may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An application can be made under the ENP scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses. The assistance is toward the costs of the necessary basic requirements for a dignified funeral. However, there is no automatic entitlement to such a payment. An ENP is a means tested payment payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the individual applicant and that of the deceased person including any savings, property, insurance policies, etc. that would render the applicant or anybody else liable for the burial costs. The Department official will also consider if a bereavement grant is available from any other source including former employer, credit union or trade union.