21. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will reinstate the bereavement grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1217/16]

The overall concern in recent Budgets has been to protect primary social welfare rates. Abolishing the bereavement grant provided an annual saving of €22 million. This allowed the Department to protect other more fundamental social welfare payments such as the State pension. Accordingly, I have no plans to reinstate the bereavement grant.

There are a range of supports available for people following bereavement which provide more significant support than the grant. These include a weekly-paid widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner’s (contributory and non-contributory) pension based on contributions or a means test, and a once-off widowed or surviving civil partner grant 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 while in budget 2016 I increased the payment after death period to 12 weeks for carer’s allowance. Guardian payments are available where someone is looking after 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 welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department of Social Protection may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure including help with funeral and burial expenses which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. However, there is no automatic entitlement to such a payment. An ENP is a means tested payment payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances.