Ms Clare Duffy:

I would not disagree with following a model like the foster carer’s allowance model and there is a lot of merit to that. As we have already said, the payment is not subject to social welfare means testing and it is not taxed, so there is much to like about it, absolutely. I would go a step further and ask why not just abolish the means test. Even to look at the level of severity of the condition requires huge administration in Longford.

Mr. Douglas referred to this figure of 6,000 people. I have been doing a bit of number-crunching on the figures and it is not easy to get to the bottom of this, but I am getting close.