James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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908. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to assist bereaved families of persons who passed away from Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7134/20]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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There are a range of supports available from my Department for people following a bereavement.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, the Department may make an exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. An application can be made under the ENP scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the family of the deceased person without causing hardship.

Other supports available include 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 is a once-off payment of €6,000 where there is a dependent child. A number of social welfare payments, including State pension, continue in payment for six weeks following a death. Guardian payments are available where someone cares for an orphaned child. A special funeral grant of €850 is paid where a person dies because of an accident at work or occupational disease.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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909. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the school meals programme into the summer holiday months will be extended in order that families that have lost jobs or are temporarily laid off as a result of the public health emergency can continue to access food during these exceptional times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7146/20]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 909 and 919 together.

The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefiting 250,000 children. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement and coincides with the school year.

Following the announcement of the closure of schools due to the Covid-19 pandemic, by the Taoiseach on 12^thMarch 2020, schools and organisations participating in the school meals programme expressed concerns about the impact of school closures on pupils who avail of school meals, and that the unavailability of school meals impacts in particular on the most disadvantaged in our society.

My Department confirmed that funding to schools would continue to enable schools provide food until the end of the current school year - the end of May for post-primary schools and the end of June for primary schools, in line with the parameters of the school meals scheme.

Any proposals to extend funding for food provision beyond these dates would need to be considered in the overall budgetary context.