Ms Kathleen Stack:

Yes, for the full personal rate up to nine weeks. For that nine week period the overpayment would be suspended and would only kick in again at week ten. The two would not run at the same time.

Deputy Collins raised the issue of overpayment recovery. We have provision in the legislation to recover up to 15% of the personal rate as well, which is about €28 or €29 at the moment. That provision has been there for a number of years at this stage.

On the awareness campaign and Deputy Gino Kenny's comments, to be fair to the Department it was never its intention to humiliate anybody. That needs to be said. The idea came out of discussions that the officials had with the Minister over the last couple of months where various issues were discussed in the areas of fraud and control. It was one of the issues that came up in the same way as the publishing names proposal. It was part of the general discussions.