Article 3 of EEC Directive 79/7/EEC specifically provides that the directive does not apply to survivors' benefits.
The payment referred to by the Deputy is the payment of benefit in certain circumstances to a dependant of a social welfare beneficiary for a period of six weeks after the death of the beneficiary. The general arrangements for after death payments are that such payments are made to widows whose husbands had been in receipt of a social welfare payment with an increase for the wife as a dependant. These payments come under the heading of survivors' benefits and are not, therefore, covered by the EEC Directive.
In relation to the particular case referred to by the Deputy, the widower in the case was himself the beneficiary, being in receipt of a retirement pension with an increase for his wife. A widow in similar circumstances would not have qualified for the after death payment which only arises where the beneficiary dies, not the dependant.