Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)

I apologise for being late. I do not see it as a double entitlement. First, as Senator O'Reilly and Mr. Bowes have rightly said in their remarks, a lot of the people who pass away already have contributory entitlements. The widow or widower is actually only claiming off his or her late spouse's entitlement. If a person becomes ill, he or she becomes ill in his or her own right. That is what a person is contributing to in his or her own right. It is not a double entitlement; there has been a loss. The compensation of the loss is covered within the PRSI contribution as a person has contributed all his or her life. A working person is contributing to his or her own entitlement for illness benefit in the event he or she gets sick. It is not a double entitlement at all. They are two separate entitlements to which both persons have contributed in their lifetime while working.