Marie Moloney (Labour)
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Last week I spoke to the officials about the self-employed, a sector of society which has been forgotten. If we can bring them into the Social Insurance Fund by giving them the option to make a class A contribution, they would qualify for benefits. They have a number of benefits currently with the 4% contribution, but if they increased the percentage, when they fall on hard times, they could apply for illness benefit or jobseeker’s benefit.

The Minister asked us about ways to help to bring in an income. I have been thinking about the people who are signing on for credits. They are not getting a payment but are ensuring their entitlement to pension is kept up to date. To me, it is really a pension policy. I would be in favour of a small contribution - maybe €1 per week - from the people who are signing credits only. They are not getting money but are sending in sick certs to get a credit contribution and they are signing credits at the local office. This is like a pension policy for them and ensures their pension is in place in future.

I refer to something mooted in the general election campaign but which seems to have fallen by the wayside. It may be more under the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform's remit than the Minister’s but I am talking about a central assessment unit which could assess people. People are being assessed for social housing, medical cards, social welfare and third level grants. There is a duplication of work by civil servants. There should be a central office where the housing department could ask for Marie Moloney’s assessment as could the medical card and the social welfare departments. I do not understand why something like that is not being worked on as it would do away with duplication of work.

I know the fraud officers are very active on the ground but we should adopt the policy that a person is innocent until proven guilty because some of the fraud officers are very aggressive, for the want of a better word, when they go to people's houses. They deem them guilty before they have proved it. It is unfortunate because it builds a barrier between the people and the officers.

I cannot get to the bottom of how many people were overpaid €20 in the fuel allowance.