FUNERAL COSTS ARE KILLING US

»»State spends €5.5m on Irish burials »»2,881 families seek aid for services

NEARLY €5.5million was spent by the State in helping families bury their loved ones last year.

A total of 2,881 payments were made to assist funerals and burials nationwide, “snapshot” figures from the Department of Social Protection revealed.

Amounts given to each applicant are means tested and varied and approved at the discretion of staff.

The State approved €2,083,127 to help 1,156 mourners in Dublin while 245 families in Cork were given €508,320.

The third highest number requiring help for a funeral or burial was in Co Louth where 121 received €228,131 last year.

A total of €238,680 for 116 applicants in Limerick and

€250,900 for 108 in Kildare were also sanctioned by the Department. In Galway, 75 applicants were awarded €141,634 while 98 in both Wicklow and Donegal afforded €197,425 and €180,442 respectively and 95 in Tipperary that received €189,259.

The lowest number of applicants was in Monaghan where 18 people were approved a sum of €28,970, in Leitrim 19 were given €34,600 and in Cavan 23 got the green light for €42,860.

A spokesman said the figures were “taken from the Department’s Exceptional Needs Payment database and represent a snapshot of the ENPS as they are approved rather than when they are paid. The figures do not capture payments that are cancelled, that go out of date or overpayments recouped”. EXPENSIVE Funerals