Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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129. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports available from his Department to bereaved parents of children. [34682/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Within the social welfare system, there are a number of supports for people who suffer a bereavement. In particular, there is an arrangement known as the six-weeks payment after death which allows for certain payments to continue to be made after a person dies.

If a person is in receipt of a primary social welfare payment which includes a child support payment and, tragically, that child dies, the child support payment will continue for six weeks after the child's death. In cases where an individual has been in receipt of One-Parent Family Payment and a child support payment, both payments will continue for six weeks after the death of that child.

In the case of Carer’s Allowance, payment continues to be made for twelve weeks after the death of the person who was being cared for, including where this was a child. Carer’s Benefit continues for six weeks. Domiciliary Care Allowance continues to be paid for three months after the death of the child being cared for.

Working Family Payment and the Back to Work Family Dividend also remain in payment for up to six weeks after the death of a qualifying child. Eligibility may continue beyond those six weeks if there are other children associated with the claim.

In addition, my department provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources.

An application can also be made under the scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses by the person who takes responsibility for those funeral arrangements and where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the applicant and/or the family of the deceased person without causing hardship.

Any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.