Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 19 in the name of Deputy O'Dea has been ruled out of order as it would involve a potential charge on the Exchequer. The amendment would involve the repeal of section 342A of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, which provides for the recovery of sums due to overpayments by summary proceedings or by deduction from other payments. Reducing the amounts of overpayments to be recovered has the potential to impose a charge on the Exchequer. Amendment No. 20 in the name of Deputy Joan Collins has also been ruled out of order because it provides that in recovering overpayments, the Department would ensure that a claimant's income would not fall below the relevant supplementary welfare allowance rate for the claimant or his or her family. These amendments could have the effect of reducing the sum available for recovery by the Department and they have the potential to impose a charge on the Exchequer. As a result, both must be ruled out of order in accordance with Standing Order 156(3).