Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 March 2004
635 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the funding available to support families of suicide bereaved and to further support such families with funeral costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9057/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are a number of schemes within the social welfare system to assist families in dealing with death and funeral expenses.
The bereavement grant is a payment based on PRSI contributions and is designed to assist families in dealing with death and funeral expenses. It amounts to €635 and is paid by cheque to the husband, wife, next of kin or personal representative of the deceased or to the person responsible for the payment of the funeral bill.
The widowed parent's grant is designed to assist with the income support needs of widows and widowers with dependent children in the immediate aftermath of a bereavement. It is payable to widows and widowers with dependent children who qualify for a widow or widower's contributory pension, a one-parent family payment or a bereavement grant payable on the death of their spouse.
A qualified child for the purpose of the grant is a child under 18 years or a child between the ages of 18 and 22 years who is in full-time education. The rate of the widowed parent's grant increased to €2,700 from December 2003.
In most cases the scheme of six weeks after death payments is payable to the qualified adult of claimants of contributory and non-contributory payments. The payment is generally made in a lump sum by cheque when the bereaved person produces a death certificate and funeral bill or funeral notice.
Support for bereaved families is also available in the form of specialist counselling provided by voluntary organisations. In turn they are funded through a scheme of grants administered by the Family Support Agency.
The scheme of grants funds bereavement counselling and support services on the death of a family member. They also fund voluntary organisations that provide marriage counselling, marriage preparation courses and counselling for children of separated parents.
In 2003 the sum of €7.009 million was allocated under the scheme. Over €1 million of it was allocated to organisations providing bereavement counselling and support services and 370 organisations nationwide received grants. This included six organisations specifically dealing with bereavement following suicide. They were as follows:
|
Amount Allocated |
|
|
€ |
|
|
National Suicide Support Network, Cork |
4,000 |
|
Facing up to Suicide, Dublin |
6,000 |
|
Kildare Suicide Bereavement Support Group |
7,000 |
|
Midlands Suicide Bereavement Support Group, Laois |
1,500 |
|
Wexford Suicide Bereavement Support Group |
700 |
|
Bray Suicide Bereavement Support Group, Wicklow |
3,000. |
Application forms for the 2004 scheme of grants was issued to all organisations that received funding last year. The closing date for receipt of applications was Friday, 27 February. Applications have been received from five of the above listed organisations and from a new applicant, the Kerry Suicide Support Group deals specifically with suicide. The Wexford Suicide Bereavement Support Group has not applied for funding this year. The applications will be considered having regard to available resources and overall demand for funding.
