Averil Power (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I apologise to the Minister in advance if I do not return to hear her responses to members' questions. However, I will read the transcript of the proceedings.

I would like to raise a number of issues, the first of which is consistency across Departments in terms of the impact and cost on the social welfare programme as a result of changes being made in other Departments, in particular, the Department of Education and Skills. The Minister spoke at length in her opening address about options for young people, including Pathways to Work and so on. Last year, however, the Department of Education and Skills abolished postgraduate grants which resulted in a dramatic reduction, as outlined by the colleges over the summer, in the number of applications from young people from low income families to attend third level college. While the Minister is putting new options in place in her Department, other Departments are removing valuable options, the result of which is, in the short term, young people who would have gone to college being on the dole because they cannot get a job, and in the longer term, the unavailability, when there is a pick-up in the economy and new jobs are created, of people with third level qualifications. Was the Minister aware of that decision prior to its being announced and did she raise concerns about it from the point of view of her Department? What processes are in place to ensure similar decisions are not made this year and instead are thought through from a cross-departmental perspective?

My second question is in regard to the processing of claims, which has been an issue of concern for a number of years. I am aware there have been some improvements in some areas. A particular issue of concern is the waiting time between people finishing up on schemes and obtaining benefits. I have been contacted a number of times about waiting times in respect of illness benefit in particular as a result of the enforcement of the two year limit. I am sure Deputy O'Dea and others have received similar representations. People's illness benefit is being withheld while they wait for months on a decision in regard to whether they qualify for invalidity benefit. While the payments outstanding will be backdated, people are experiencing a lot of stress and uncertainty while waiting for a decision.

My final question is in regard to the progress being made in terms of the integration of the tax and social welfare systems. The Minister in her speech outlined the remit of the group and what it was set up to do. However, I am interested in hearing what progress has been made and the outcomes to date. While obviously this has implications in terms of child benefit and other issues, there is a real urgency to get those two systems working together.

I thank the Chairman and Members for the courtesy of allowing me to put my questions to the Minister first.