William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)

I thank the witnesses for being here. I am encouraged by what I have heard. As a former long-serving county councillor, I thank them for their work and involvement with citizens information. They do an awful lot of good work in that regard. I know that from my years as a councillor. I am glad to have the opportunity to thank them very much for the work they do throughout the country.

I welcome the outcome of the O'Meara case. I have been reading into it. Most of the questions I was going to ask have been answered. From where does the requirement to prove you are in a relationship come? Is it from civil servants? Is that where it originated? Are they afraid that something in the Bill is going to cost the State an awful lot more money? It beggars belief that people are being asked to prove something in order to qualify. That makes matters very complicated. As a county councillor over the years, I helped people in circumstances such as these in the context of filling out forms. This is another layer, which is difficult. Are these requirements coming from civil servants? These are the questions I would have loved to ask in all the time I was a councillor, and now I have the opportunity to ask them as a TD. Is this coming from civil servants and are they asking for a reason? Who is flagging this? It certainly did not come about as a result of a Minister seeing something and asking for a change. I need some clarity on that point.

All of the other questions I wanted to ask have already been answered. It is encouraging that the O'Meara family did what they did. To prove a point, the matter had to go in direction it did in order for us to be here today discussing it. Perhaps the witnesses would answer my question.