Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Dr. Singh.

I will revert to my initial question. Under the Green Paper, people in level 3 "will have to engage with the Intreo Public Employment Service and take up reasonable offers of places in training and employment programmes, and take up employment opportunities that are appropriate to their capacity and circumstances." If we shortened that sentence without changing the meaning, we could say that people would have to take up employment opportunities that were appropriate to their capacity and circumstances. We have to be honest, in that this is a new departure. Currently, people in receipt of disability allowance are not expected to work. That is the case, open and shut. However, it is strongly implied in the Green Paper that there is some jeopardy, however marginal, of someone losing a payment if he or she fails to take up employment opportunities. I understand that Mr. Hession and his colleagues are anxious not to give a headline to The Irish Timesor another outlet and that they are being cautious in how they phrase this, but we have to acknowledge that there is some jeopardy for someone who fails to engage. Is that not fair to say? There is the possibility that someone who fails to engage could lose his or her payment.