John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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484. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an application for carer’s allowance in the name of a person (details supplied) will be expedited and approved; if the correspondence from his Department to this Deputy will be reviewed given the person has not received any notification from his Department in recent times; and if an oral hearing will be arranged immediately given the original application was submitted in late 2023 and since then their health has deteriorated. [13320/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.

It is a condition for receipt of CA that the carer cannot be engaged in employment/self-employment or training/study. However, where it is shown to the satisfaction of a Deciding Officer (DO) that adequate provision has been made for the care of the care recipient, the carer may engage in these activities for a maximum of 18.5 hours per week.

An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 11 September 2023.

As part of the decision process, the application was referred for the professional opinion of a Department Medical Assessor (MA). The claim was disallowed as the DO, having regard to the opinion of the MA, decided that the information supplied did not show that the care recipient required full-time care.

The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 20 October 2023. They were also notified of the right to have the decision reviewed (where further information is available) or to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).

A request to appeal this decision was lodged with the Department.

As a result of an Appeals Officer's decision, the person concerned was awarded CA from 14 September 2023 to 3 April 2024. However, it was decided that the person concerned had no entitlement to CA from 4 April 2024 as the information available to my department at the time was that the person concerned was working in excess of 18.5 hours per week. The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 13 January 2025.

A review was initiated on foot of correspondence received on 17 January 2025. Following this review, the decision remained unchanged. The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 11 March 2025.

A further review was initiated of foot of your correspondence, and a request for additional information issued to the person concerned on 19 March 2025.

Once the information requested is received, a decision will be made, and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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485. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the bereavement grant to help defray funeral costs was discontinued; if there are plans to introduce a similar grant support in the coming period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13390/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Bereavement Grant, which was a once-off payment for funeral costs, was discontinued in January 2014. The number of bereavement grant claims in 2013 was 23,716 at a cost of €20.3 million.

The number of Bereavement Grant claims paid in 2013 equated to 80% of registered deaths. If the same percentage was applied to the figures for 2023 - the most recent data that the Department has available - it is estimated that the cost of reintroducing the grant at the same payment rate would be close to €30 million per annum and would increase annually. Accordingly, any decision to reinstate the grant would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.

In this context, it is worth noting that there are a range of supports available for people following bereavement which provide more significant support than the former grant.

These include weekly-paid Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory and Non-Contributory) pensions, which are based on contributions or a means test, and a once-off Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner grant of €8,000 where there is a dependent child. A number of social welfare payments, including State Pension, continue in payment for six weeks following a death, extending to 12 weeks in respect of Carer’s Allowance. 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.

Under the Supplementary Allowance scheme, the Department may make a single 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, which may include help with funeral and burial expenses. This is a more targeted and efficient manner of assisting people with bereavement expenses in addition to the range of supports already set out.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.