I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this issue because it undoubtedly affects people in Dunleer, Togher, Drogheda and Dundalk and no doubt it also affects people the breadth of Ireland. I came in to the Chamber in October 2025 to talk about a constituency who had come to me having lost her husband a year prior. She was facing having to rear her four children, get back to work, get on with her life and with building a life for her children, only to find herself in a position in which she fell ill. It was cancer and she had to seek treatment. If things were not bad enough, because she was receiving the widow's benefit, she was therefore not entitled to illness benefit. At the time, I said this was clearly wrong. Our system cannot be devised to punish somebody when they are trying to do everything right. This lady was afflicted by a terrible tragedy in her family and was trying to put her best foot forward and build a life for her children but at the same time had to bear her own illness. It was not just that but also the economic devastation this was going to have on her family. A year and half prior to that, she had two incomes coming into the household. A year and a half later, she was not only down the income from her husband, she was also going to be down the income from her husband which was substituted by a widow's benefit and because her employer did not make up her sick pay, she was not even entitled to that illness benefit. This is despite the fact that from the day she left school she paid her PRSI and made her contributions. It is grossly unfair. At the time, I was told the Minister would take a look at reviewing this process. My understanding is no review has taken place to date and there is no date to have a review of such practices. I understand the system of one payment, one person but if this was only for widow's benefit one would say it is grossly unfair and surely it could be reviewed. However, this also happens when somebody receives the carer's allowance. These are people who take care of others day in, day out. They receive quite a nominal amount of money yet if they fall ill, they are not entitled to illness benefit. No doubt the Minister of State will tell me in some cases they can be given half of a second payment but that is not enough to pay the bills. That is not enough in this day and age to carry on day by day. When people are hit by very harsh and difficult circumstances, which I hope are temporary, we should not be there to punish them or make their lives and circumstances even harder. We should lift them up and help them along, especially in these moments of crisis. I call for this situation to be reviewed swiftly.

Sentiment score: -0.18

I thank the Minister of State. I am heartened that he has grasped the seriousness of the situation and by the fact that he is going to raise the urgent need for this to be reviewed. Let us review it and implement it. Let us find a timeline of many months but, rather, weeks or a few months. The Minister of State has grasped the seriousness of the situation, as has the Minister, Deputy Calleary. It is grossly unfair and does not just affect people who are getting the widow's or widower's benefit. It is also arises in the event that somebody is receiving carer's allowance. It is the system itself. We have to grasp this. As the Minister of State said, one partner has paid PRSI and the other person is getting the benefit of that. The second person has paid their own PRSI but cannot get the full benefit of that. There is something wrong with that system. We encourage people to contribute, find their own feet and get on with life. Surely, when they stumble in life, we can help pick them up and help them along the way.

Sentiment score: 0.15