Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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I thank the INOU and the officials for coming in to deal with this matter. As the Chair indicated at the start, it is a topic that we all encounter on a regular basis in our clinic work.

The officials have gone through the various categories of those who are not on the live register but the one I encounter most, and probably encountered to a greater degree a couple of years ago, is the person who became unemployed and, because of a means test involving a spouse, could not avail of anything. In summary, can the officials clarify what that category of person can and cannot avail of?

The INOU has requested that these categories be dealt with in the new framework, Pathways to Work. We all hope that could happen, and it is encouraging that is in there. There is, however, conditionality in the use of the phrase "as resources allow". That is the way out.

In terms of the consultation around the conference this week, who will draft the new framework? Will it be these officials? What would be their advice to the Minister about whether the various categories we have talked about could be included at that stage?