Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 June 2021
174. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a research project undertaken by an organisation (details supplied) on behalf of her Department in relation to the cost of bereavement and funeral poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30210/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Budget 2020, a budget of €60,000 was provided to support the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) in carrying out a research project into funeral poverty in Ireland.
This independent research by the IHF is to examine how bereavement affects people, particularly the economic impact of death. It seeks to trace the dynamics of bereavement in Ireland, identify immediate and longer-term impacts on families, identify the costs and deficits, and explore ways to mitigate against economic impact.
Funding from the Department is supporting the research, which was originally due to be completed by December 2020. However, the COVID-19 emergency resulted in much of the work being deferred and brought forward to 2021.
I understand that the first phase of the project was completed in 2020 and that funding support of €31,394.38 was paid to the IHF in December 2020.
I also understand that work is now underway on Phase 2 which is a qualitative phase exploring in-depth the economic impacts that bereavement can have, from the perspectives of the bereaved and the professionals who support them. The IHF team for this is in place and in the process of developing its sampling strategy, with a view to completing this phase in September 2021.
I further understand that IHF's current plan is to finalise its work, combining the various phases of the project, in October 2021, when it intends to publish its findings, consisting of a final report and two short papers.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
