Ms Bríd O'Brien:

I will make one overall point. I am somewhat concerned that because we have limited resources, we cannot address this issue from the perspective of people who are unemployed but not in receipt of a payment. Many people currently feel let down by the system and that is not useful in terms of Ireland's social policy in the longer term. When a lot of people find their way back to work, they will resent paying certain taxes because when they needed the system, it was not there for them.

Many people are seeking support and advice but, given the way the system has been reconfigured, it is not as accessible as has been presented. Many people find it difficult because they see the system being changed dramatically. There is huge potential in the changes under way, but people cannot directly access the service at the moment unless they are in receipt of a payment.

We have limited resources but, to pick up Dr. Murphy's point, we are investing in people's futures and we will have a return in getting more people back to work. There will then be more people who feel they have something to contribute. If they feel the system is there for them, they will contribute to it. It creates a better dynamic. Many people currently feel they have no choice of access.

We need to find ways to address that. The system was more open in the past and around looking at how can we indeed provide a public service to people. In the middle of the current crisis, prioritisation is occurring, but that does not allow us to close the door to so many.