asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will review the regulations regarding contribution conditions for receipt of a death grant, which reckons only contributions paid since October 1970, as this has the effect of denying the next-of-kin of people of advanced age from getting such a grant.

Only insurance contributions paid since October 1970 have included an element in respect of death grant. Insurance contributions paid prior to that date have no such element and accordingly cannot be used for the purposes of determining entitlement to the grant. There are no proposals to make any changes to the contribution conditions to allow contributions paid prior to October 1970 to be reckoned for death grant.

Would the Minister of State not agree that it is very difficult to explain to the surviving partner that a death grant cannot be paid in this case because the spouse was too old at death, was born before his or her time? Does he not consider that most of his legislation is geared towards helping old people and that this is discrimination against the very old? If someone is 85 when he goes to his reward, does the Minister of State not consider that at that stage the Department should show some leniency?

The scheme is an insurance scheme. When it was introduced in 1970 a contributory element was introduced to pay for the scheme.

That is the legal position. What about the sentimental position?

There is no proposal at this stage to change that. That is the legal position.