Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It might take nine months or 19, or another period.

Let me make a suggestion to the Department on recovery. The Department's system has obviously identified people who have been overpaid, for various reasons. In the past, when the Department could collect only €2 per week, it was not bothered going after it and it sat there. I now see that when somebody is to receive a new payment, the Department checks immediately to determine whether any arrears are due. That is fine. I have dealt with cases of people who received overpayments, perhaps through FIS or another scheme, or perhaps because their spouses got some part-time work that would have made them ineligible. I have seen cases where, although X thousand euro might have been due during an individual's working life, the Department waited until he or she applied for the State contributory pension before reclaiming it. An individual might be identified by the Department as owing €3,000, yet it does not recoup it until the individual hits pension age, at which time he or she is on a reduced income. Individuals ask why the money was not taken from them by the Department when they were working and could afford it rather than when they reached 66. One can believe what one likes about whether the overpayments were forgotten about or whether it was hoped the matter would not be noticed. The Department waits until it receives the State pension application before taking action.

I suggest that where the Department knows moneys are due, bearing in mind that there is now a much better exchange of information with the Revenue Commissioners, it should reclaim them during the working life of the recipient. The recipient might be in employment, but the Department seems to wait until he or she comes to it for another payment before taking action. The witnesses know the point I am trying to make.