Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will ask two general questions. I bow to the ability of Senator Moloney in dealing with this on the ground. Mr. Egan said that the family income supplement payment "effectively preserves the incentive to take up or remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if they were claiming other social welfare payments". Could he talk to me about what he means by "marginally better off"? Is it not the kernel of the matter here that people are so badly paid in some work that social welfare payments run almost in parallel with their earnings? I am only asking the question. What exactly does Mr. Egan mean by "marginally better off"? What are the boundaries of that? I think that is the main problem here.

I would like to ask a question that goes back to the point Deputy Harrington made about communication. How many lone parents have attended seminars in local Intreo offices? It is not just a question of how people's entitlements are communicated to them; it is also a question of how people pick up on and lock into that communication. People need to know what they are entitled to and be in a position to go through the procedures to make this happen for them. I absolutely agree with Deputy Harrington's point that this does not happen. Can Mr. Egan talk to me about those two issues?