Submission 142
April 2008
Green Paper submission
My family and I were responsible for the bereavement procedures for my father and mother. When I went to look for the Bereavement Grant, I was amazed to see that this benefit is restricted to contributory pensions and thereby people who had not paid Irish contributions could not benefit from this Grant. My father worked with [name of employer] before he emigrated to England. As he was in the an age bracket which was not registered, he would not have contributions paid. He returned from England and took up the family farm from his father and, as he had no transport, he could not seek work outside the farm. There was virtually no way he could get social assistance for that reason, as there was no work except road building, even though he was well educated and went to evening school. At no stage was he made aware that as he had no welfare benefits, that he would be deprived of benefits. It does not seem right that those people had to live by cutting hay with a scythe, dig with a spade, cut turf by hand, thatch, milk cows by hand and we are now told that they are not eligible for a Bereavement Grant, after all that hardship.
My mother was brought by an aunt to Chicago and worked there as home help. In 1935, when the depression came, she returned and got married and had three in family. It says in the welfare booklet that if she had any evidence of living in America she could qualify. As I had information to stipulate that she had become an American passport holder and citizenship, I sent this on to Sligo as it proved she worked there. The reply was when she had no contributions in this country, she did not qualify. She returned in an era when married women were not allowed to work, this was not possible. As she was excellent at embroidery she was given work to do by a company who had a factory. This was piece work and she no welfare contributions.
What hurt me is my father and mother were in the situation through no fault of their own. When I queried this, I was told that they had property and that was the reason. This was not so as there were big families and only for families emigrated and sent money home, those homesteads would not have survived, which I did myself. This would explain the welfare system for that category of people such as it is, however it does not give consideration to all those people without any means. I think the people responsible for the burial costs should get a bereavement grant. The fact that there is a contributory and non contributory pension means that those who have not got a non contributory pension are not entitled to an equal burial. I think whoever looks after the demise of the bereaved and produces “documentation for burial and monument by way of receipts and photographs should be reimbursed.”
When I visit graveyards, I am appalled with the neglect of some of the older areas. If the maintenance were made tax deductable it would be an incentive for people to give respect to those people who deserve some recognition.
