Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Sometimes the arrears are not real arrears in that owing to staffing issues, local authorities only review cases annually and a person may lose his or her job following a review resulting in a change in his or her circumstances for that year and this is only amended the following year. A different approach may be required to ensure that the arrears are not over-stated. It is a situation which I have come across. Local authorities differ in terms of how they apply the rule. I do not have any difficulty with the amendments but simply want to draw the Minister of State's attention to how arrears are arising.