Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

554. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an increased supplementary welfare assistance exceptional needs payment will be granted to a person (details supplied) to cover funeral expenses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31347/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There are two separate arrangements whereby the Department can assist with the burials costs of a deceased person. The first is an arrangement under Section 206 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act. Under this Section of the Act the Department may make arrangements for and provide assistance towards the burial of a person, where that person has died in the State and suitable arrangements have not otherwise been made for the burial of that person, or the person has drowned and whose body has been cast ashore, or otherwise perished and been found dead, in the State and whose body has not been claimed for burial. In these circumstances the Department will provide a basic but dignified burial for the person.

The second and more common form of assistance is in the form of an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP). ENPs are made to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income and every case is decided based on the individual circumstances of the case.

There is no limit on the amount payable to any individual in respect of funeral costs. However, the person concerned was provided with a contribution based on the individual circumstances of the case.

A subsequent review was completed by the ENP review officer and the Ombudsman’s office also considered the case in question. Following the review, (and consultation with the Ombudsman’s office) the original decision regarding the payment in question was upheld and no grounds for making an additional payment in this case were found.