Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Duggan. Before I bring in Senator Murphy, I wish to make one request. A very clear explanatory document on this transitionary period needs to be designed in conjunction with the National Adult Literacy Agency, NALA. It needs to clearly lay out how this calculation is taking place. In fairness, the Department is very good at doing this anyway. It will cause considerable confusion when people have two options for the calculation. The Department will need to clearly lay out both of those and the resulting figures. A certain amount of consideration will need to be given to how this is communicated with the applicants themselves. I think the Department of Social Protection is the benchmark in doing that. While not everything is perfect, it does its best to do it. I must say that the local authority system is absolutely appalling regarding the means-test calculation for rent. Someone would want to be a professor in accounting to be able to work it out. I ask that the Department would specifically look at that so it can be easily communicated to people. That should be done that in conjunction with NALA which it would normally do anyway. We can bank that.